National Basketball Association

Suns' Thomas thriving in instant 'electricity' role

Published Nov. 13, 2014 6:21 p.m. ET

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PHOENIX -- Propelled by another command fourth-quarter performance, first-year Suns guard Isaiah Thomas is the league leader in a statistical category that seems pretty important.

Thomas, who knocked in 12 of his 21 points during the final period of Wednesday's triumph over the Brooklyn Nets, leads the NBA in offensive box plus/minus.

What in this metrics-obsessed world is that?

Well, it's a new numbers-based evaluation being introduced by the analytics sharpies at basketball-reference.com.

Here's a quick summation taken from their explanation page:

" . . . representing points per 100 possessions for which the player was on the court."

For the entire presentation on a metric list that Isaiah currently resides at the top of, look here:

For the record, hotshots Stephen Curry of Golden State and Portland's Damian Lillard are second and third, respectively.

In the popular player-efficiency rankings, Thomas' numbers put him sixth in the league. Quite a few NBA superstars fall in line after sixth, but, hey, it's early, and it's numbers.

Anyway, following his latest performance, Thomas also inspired this comment from Greg Anthony, studio analyst for TNT's "Inside the NBA":

"He's got a role that really fits his skill set, and he can be a difference-maker for the Suns."

According to Anthony, Thomas is better suited to providing electricity off the bench, rather than trotting out with the starting unit.

Regardless of when he enters the game, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek doesn't have any problem allowing Thomas to close in the fourth quarter.

Gerald Green, Thomas' partner in those fourth-quarter salvos, has shot his way out of a widespread notion that adding Thomas to the Eric Bledsoe-Goran Dragic point-guard stable would limit his productivity.

Thanks to several visits to the free-throw line (14 of 15), Green has given the Suns a combined 47 points in victories over Golden State and Brooklyn.

"Teams really have to scramble around him to make sure he doesn't get an open look," Hornacek said, "because if he gets an open look, he's going to make it, and when he doesn't, he makes a nice pass. So he's a dangerous player when he's making those decisions and making the right decisions, and either shooting it or hitting the open guys for a pass."

After struggling with a balky 3-point stroke and finding opportunities on a floor crowded with primary ballhandlers, Goran Dragic has rallied over the past three games.

The Dragon has provided Phoenix with 59 points during this run, converting half of his field-goal attempts. The accuracy hike is quite pronounced behind the 3-point line, where Dragic -- who missed his first 10 bombs this season -- is 7 of 11 since.

A quick review of the basketball-reference.com team rankings page tells us the Suns have improved in some areas of statistical need.

After outrebounding the titan-sized Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix checks in eighth among NBA teams for defensive-rebounding percentage. After slouching around in the mid- to-late 20s in recent years, that represents a serious upgrade in finishing defensive stands.

Hornacek's quest to reach the top tier in tempo is succeeding, with the Suns reaching fourth in pace (possessions per 48 minutes).

Based on point differential and strength of schedule, the website ranks the Suns as the ninth-best team in the NBA. But that particular judgment leaves Phoenix at only seventh best in the Western Conference.

By running past the Nets to the tune of 24 fast-break-points, the Suns have returned to No. 1 among NBA teams at 17.5 in that category. Phoenix finished first last season in first place at 18.7 fast-break points per game.

Despite the exploits of Thomas and Green, Phoenix ranks only fourth in bench strength based on point differential.

The Milwaukee Bucks lead the league with a whopping, per-game bench differential of 27.6.

Although they don't have any reserves with the scoring chops of Thomas or Green, the Bucks are receiving considerable productivity from non-starters Giannis Antetokounmpo (10.9 points per game), O.J. Mayo (12.1) and former St. Mary's High and University of Arizona star Jerryd Bayless (8.1).

The Suns' bench, by the way, checks in with a differential of 7.8.

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