Boston Celtics

Andre Iguodala should inspire Isaiah Thomas to come off the bench

Published Jun. 17, 2015 10:57 a.m. ET

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Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas is better suited coming off the bench, but it's unclear how happy he'll be over the long term with that role. Thomas is an offensive maestro regardless of whether he starts or sits for the opening tip, but he's much more effective lined up against opposing benches, particularly as a defender.

Last night, Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala won Finals MVP after sacrificing his starting spot for an entire season, and, according to the Celtics blog Red's Army, he should serve as an inspiration to Thomas:

"Thomas is the type of player, should he be on a Finals team, that can heat up and be in contention for an MVP trophy. Finals MVP is a pretty bad-ass trophy to have. It tells everyone that in the biggest of moments, you stepped up and played your best. No one will ever add 'yeah, but he came off the bench, so it’s not as good.' You get to be the only guy in the group to hold two trophies that day. That’s pretty amazing stuff. And it just goes to show that the old cliché really is true...it’s not who starts, it’s who finishes."

Thomas has started over half the games he's appeared in throughout his career. It's something he's more than capable of doing. But the Celtics have Marcus Smart, who will hopefully develop into a better two-way option at the beginning of games.

Having Thomas attack lesser opponents later on is a weapon Boston is lucky to have, and he should be happy about it. Especially if one day he gets hot in the championship.

(h/t: Red's Army)

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports