Isaiah Thomas on the best ball handlers in the NBA
Boston Celtics All-Star and starting point guard Isaiah Thomas told the Players Tribune his best ball handlers in the league.
Here's his list of players:
On Jamal Crawford:
"Jamal is a straight streetballer. He doesn’t have a signature or go to move. He’s always doing something different depending on the situation, and he’s always trying crazy new stuff. He’s just so gifted that I don’t think he even knows what he’s going to do sometimes. He just does it, and everyone says Wow… he has a combination of instinct and a crazy natural ability to control the ball. Like back when he was with the Knicks and he put a move on Deron Williams where he dribbled behind his back, then kept the ball there and went back behind his back for the lay-up."
On Steph Curry:
"With Steph, you’re always guessing. That’s what makes him so dangerous.
First off, you gotta respect the three, cause if you don’t, he’ll light you up from the outside. That’s where everything starts for him. Steph plays like he’s a wide receiver in football running an option route on every play. Everything he does depends on what the defender is doing. So when he’s coming at you, if you’re afraid of the three which you should be and you give him too much space, he’ll knock it down. If you play too far up on the three, he’ll take you off the dribble. If he beats you on the first step because you were playing too far up, say goodbye. He’s already gone. If you sink back with him, he has the shiftiness and the quick release to step back and shoot."
On Chris Paul:
"He’s one of the craftiest guards in the NBA on his own right. He’s not flashy, he just has the right moves to get where he wants to go. He always pulls the right move out at the right time because he’s so smart. He’s a real student of the game. If there’s one move I could point to that is textbook Chris Paul, it would be a move called the Shammgod. It’s when you start your dribble in one direction, but instead of crossing back over with the same hand, you bring your other hand across your body and snatch it back. It’s a move a lot of guys use to get the defender turned around so they can drive to the basket, and really, it’s a pretty basic move. But CP3 does it differently. He uses it off the pick-n-roll, and it always gets the big leaning to give him the separation for his mid-range shot."
On Kyrie Irving:
"Kyrie lives laterally. He goes side to side at such a high level it’s hard for defenders to keep up. He’s right in front of you, then he’s not, and it all starts with the crossover. It’s the same move every point guard has in his arsenal. His is just better."
On James Harden:
"I don’t know why it’s so hard to guard lefties. I think it’s just because so many guys are right-handed that when you see a lefty, it’s just not normal. But there’s more to James Harden than just being left-handed. He’s creative, shifty and very deceiving."
Isaiah Thomas on himself:
"You didn’t really think I was gonna break down the best ball handlers in the NBA and not get in on it, did you?
Lucky for me, it’s hard to guard small guys. That gives me an advantage on my ball handling, and also because I’m able to change direction faster than a lot of guys. So with me, a straight crossover usually gives me the space and separation I need to get my shot off or make a play."
