“My dawg Isaiah Thomas is back where he belongs!”: Zach LaVine congratulates new Lakers signing after Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley enter Covid protocols

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has had a busy day. After Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley were confirmed to be in Covid protocols, he signed Isaiah Thomas.

The Lakers’ depth chart was already looking precariously bad before more bad news struck them today. They had 7 players on the injury report before the start of the day, including LeBron and AD, who’re day-to-day.

It became worse when 9-time All-Star and 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook was confirmed to be in Covid protocols. He was soon joined by former Celtic Avery Bradley.

This thins their already depleted guard rotation, currently missing Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn. The Lakers are clearly in need of bodies at the moment – as are several other teams like the Chicago Bulls.

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Zach LaVine congratulates Isaiah Thomas for signing with the LA Lakers; NBA Twitter reacts

In the wake of such unprecedented circumstances, it became prudent for Rob Pelinka to make a Hail Mary signing. He seems to have taken a calculated bet in reuniting LeBron with Isaiah Thomas.

The 5’9″ point guard was an MVP contender at one point with the Boston Celtics. However, he played through a hip injury that has since sapped him of his once-elite athleticism.

Due to his lack of burst, Isaiah’s already shaky physical profile no longer remained NBA-worthy. But he still possesses the same offensive skillset as before, if only with a little lower burst.

Most importantly, he’s been balling out whenever, wherever he’s had the chance to do so. He led Team USA Basketball to a win before going on to drop 42 points on his latest G-League venture.

It clearly meant that time was ripe for an NBA team to snap him up. There are too many minutes to go around what seems to be another NBA season afflicted by the pandemic. Zach LaVine had the same sentiment before, and he congratulated Isaiah for fulfilling his dream again.

My dawg back where he belong! @isaiahthomas

— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) December 16, 2021

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Isaiah will be expected to play 20+ minutes in at least 3-4 games in the near future. The Lakers need offense, and they need bodies with experience of playing at the NBA level. How they hold fort in the upcoming days will determine the course of their season.