DENVER (AP) \u2014 Isaiah Thomas pronounced his surgically repaired hip as fit as it\u2019s ever going to be.<\/p>\n
His confidence? Now that\u2019s as healthy as ever with the point guard on the verge of his Denver Nuggets debut.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy job is not to fit in. It\u2019s to stand out,\u201d said Thomas, who\u2019s looking to play Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings, the team that picked him in the second round of the 2011 draft. \u201cI\u2019m going to do whatever I can to get minutes on the basketball floor and I\u2019m going to play to win and help this team get to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019 last NBA game was March 22 with the Los Angeles Lakers before undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to fix his troublesome hip. The Nuggets signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason and gave him plenty of space to recover from his operation.<\/p>\n
He could provide a big boost down the stretch for the surging Nuggets, who are near the top of the Western Conference standings.<\/p>\n
His minutes, though, could come at the expense of Monte Morris and Malik Beasley, two young guards who have been pleasant surprises for the Nuggets this season. Thomas doesn\u2019t think the chemistry will be altered in the least for a team that\u2019s rolling along.<\/p>\n
After all, he\u2019s played an integral part in creating it, with his robust personality in the locker room and on the bench.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great group of guys that don\u2019t have any egos,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI\u2019ve been on a few teams like that to where guys don\u2019t care about who gets the success. We just care about winning. Since Day 1 when I came here, I\u2019ve seen that. We just care about getting wins and getting better each and every day. That\u2019s a good sign when you have that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas only recently returned to 5-on-5 action with the team. Before that he was going through rehab and, on the road, looking for friendly pick-up games at local gyms in order to get his cardio and rhythm back.<\/p>\n
Take things nice and slow \u2014 all part of the master plan for Thomas and the Nuggets.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to be patient with my body. I\u2019m going to be patient with my game, knowing that it\u2019s going to take a while,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIt took me years to get to an MVP level, and I know it\u2019s going to take me a while to get back to that level and get back to feeling like that player again. I\u2019m just going to take it day-by-day and continue to get better each day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas, who turned 30 last week, has averaged 18.9 points over a career that\u2019s included 473 games with Sacramento, Phoenix, Boston, Cleveland and the Lakers. It\u2019s been an arduous journey back from hip surgery, but the persistent pain is finally alleviated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t feel what I felt last year. That has left my body,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI got a goal that I want to reach. I want to be one of the best players that ever played the game. There\u2019s no quit in me. This is just a part of my story, and I\u2019m going to just continue to grind, continue to keep going, and continue to listen to my body and hopefully I can help this team take the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what he brings to the floor, easy: Competitiveness.<\/p>\n
\u201cA guy that makes a difference out there. Plays to win,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cScores the basketball, makes plays. I know it\u2019s not all going to come back right away, so I\u2019m not putting any pressure on myself, but at some point in time, it will come back and the world will know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The world certainly is familiar with his compelling backstory: The 5-foot-9 Thomas was the last pick in the 2011 draft. He defied the odds and became a two-time All-Star. He helped carry the Celtics in the 2017 postseason despite a balky hip and a broken heart following his sister\u2019s death in a car crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the biggest things is they\u2019ve seen what I went through a couple years ago with the passing of my sister, and how I pushed through. It wasn\u2019t just me, though, it was like the world helped me get through that,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI know my story\u2019s inspirational to all the kids around the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey kind of gravitate to stories like that. Guys being overlooked. Guys being counted out.\u201d<\/p>\n