Isiah Thomas Says There Needs To Be A ‘Rethinking’ Of Who The Top Players In The NBA Are
NBA legend Isiah Thomas is saying what many basketball fans may be thinking as the 2022 NBA Playoffs continue to unfold.
With the Brooklyn Nets being swept by the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers not even making the playoffs, it’s understandable that the current prowess of Kevin Durant and LeBron James is being questioned. Appearing on NBA TV, the Hall of Famer who captained the Detroit Pistons in the 80s and 90s, noted that after the year’s playoffs and finals end, a conversation needs to be had.
"After this playoff season, definitely we're gonna have to do some rethinking of who the top players are because, again, we've had LeBron James and Kevin Durant in the top,” Thomas said. “And one got swept and one didn't even make the play-in, so we’re going to have to do some rethinking about the top."
The Boston Celtics closed out a 4-0 series sweep on Monday night (April 25) against the Brooklyn Nets, defeating the Durant and Kyrie Irving-led team 116-112.
According to ESPN’s SportsCenter, for the first time in 17 years, the second round (conference semifinals) of the NBA playoffs will be without LeBron and/or Durant’s presence. Durant is 33, while James is 37, so basketball fandom could be on the cusp of ushering in a new generation of superstars, signaling back to Isiah Thomas’ aforementioned point of rethinking the top players in the league.
Both James and Durant have had impressive NBA playoff careers. In most recent history, James led the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and Durant won back-to-back titles with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
