National Basketball Association

Here's the one player the Cavaliers should worry about in the East

Published Jan. 4, 2017 2:48 p.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

Declaring the Cleveland Cavaliers locks to make the 2017 NBA Finals is no grand pronouncement — although it's certainly accurate.

As good as teams like the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets might be, they can't hold a candle to LeBron James' squad. The disparity is so great that Undisputed's Skip Bayless would rather see the Cavs scrimmage each other than face the Eastern Conference the rest of this season.

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There is, however, one potential bump in the road for the Cavaliers — and he's been roasting the rest of the NBA over the past couple weeks.

Isaiah Thomas poured in just 29 points Tuesday night as the Boston Celtics held off the Utah Jazz at home. I say "just 29 points," because in his previous two games, the 5-foot-9 Thomas dropped 52 and 31 points against the Heat and Cavaliers, respectively.

That game against Cleveland was particularly telling. The Cavs cruised to a double-digit advantage for most of the game before Boston forced LeBron & Co. to buckle down in the fourth quarter. Although the bulk of that comeback took place with Thomas on the bench, he kept up the pressure when he checked in with just over four minutes to play.

Time and again, Thomas and Al Horford set up at the top of the key and ran a simple high pick-and-roll, forcing Kyrie Irving to try to stick with Thomas — the same way that Irving and the Cavs force the issue when the game is on the line. And as good as Irving is, he can't contain his Boston counterpart. In turn, the Cleveland defense has to shift its focus from a holistic approach to snuffing out Thomas' forays to the rim, which opens up the Celtics offense.

Of course, there is the matter of Thomas' diminutive stature. Rather than a weakness, however, the All-Star guard turned his height into one of the defining characteristics of his game. Like a short NFL running back who's able to hide behind the line before bursting through a hole at just the right time, Thomas operates in the pick-and-roll unlike any other point guard in the NBA. Every moment is an opportunity for Thomas to strike as he rocks a defense back on its heels and picks apart the opposition.

And it's that head-to-head matchup with Irving that gives the Cavs just a moment's pause. If Thomas relentlessly attacks the Cleveland point guard, Irving is going to have to expend way more energy on defense than the Cavs would like. More important, a player as confident as Irving can be goaded into taking Thomas' offense as a personal challenge. If Irving feels compelled to prove who's the better point guard, he could hijack the Cleveland offense, playing right into Boston's hands.

As coach Brad Stevens told reporters Tuesday, defenses have tried basically everything to stop Thomas, and to no avail. Turn your head for a moment, and he's gone. Lock in on the little man, and he'll make you pay by dribbling right around you. In a game of half-second windows and laser-quick reactions, Thomas is immensely skilled at turning the slightest sliver of daylight into pay dirt.

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Now, will it be enough against the Cavs in May? Probably not; as good as Thomas and the Celtics are, they can't go toe-to-toe with the likes of LeBron, Irving, Kevin Love and the defending champions.

But if you're expecting a Cavaliers cakewalk in the Eastern Conference finals, maybe think again. The NBA's smallest superstar could present a big challenge to the presumed Finals participant.