New Orleans Pelicans: 3 storylines to watch against the Brooklyn Nets

New Orleans Pelicans: Isaiah Thomas, take two

Isaiah Thomas is expected to feature in his second game for the New Orleans Pelicans when they go to Brooklyn.

Thomas’ debut against the Hawks probably went as expected. He contributed 10 points off the bench, but his efficiency was poor, he had four turnovers, and he looked rusty as a whole. Not a surprise since he had not played in the NBA since February of last year.

With one game under his belt, let’s now see what Thomas can do as he works himself back into NBA shape. Thomas looked alright physically versus Atlanta, but one thing is being fit and another thing is playing high-level competitive basketball. To his credit, Thomas said he felt 100 percent healthy after his Pels debut.

The former all-star’s best chance of securing a longer deal with the Pelicans is providing the team with some scoring punch off the bench. This is something Stan Van Gundy sorely lacks right now with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis Jr. both out of action at the same time.

Like I’ve written, I don’t think Thomas fits with what Van Gundy craves from his guards. Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe all season long have generally just been tasked with shooting lots of threes and defending hard. But even if Thomas doesn’t stick around in New Orleans, this is still an extended audition to get back in the league.

It is a feel-good story that many people are rooting for after Thomas’ impressive peak with the Boston Celtics and all the tragedy he has experienced since then.