9. Isaiah Thomas
Most of the time, point guards are the shortest players on the court who are viewed as persevering masterminds, overcoming players towering above them when they attack the rim. The number one player that comes to mind when one thinks of a hard-working under dog is Isaiah Thomas.
Drafted 60th out of the University of Washington in the 2011 NBA draft, and standing at just 5’9″, Isaiah Thomas has one of the more inspiring underdog stories in the league. After being constantly being told that he wouldn’t make it and that he was too small, Thomas adopted a lifestyle of hard work and dominance in what he does.
In a league that has the point guard as the deepest position, this type of mindset has allowed Thomas to cement himself as one of the best players within his role. Last season, he was the predominant scoring option for the Boston Celtics with 22.2 points per game, becoming a first-time All-Star in the process.
His strong court vision and playmaking ability was a vital asset as well with an average of 6.2 assists. As a result, Thomas led the young Boston team into the playoffs with the 5th seed in the East.
Despite not having the best results with a first round exit, they’re still in the process of maturing and received a major boost to their rebuild this summer.
Looking forward to the 2016-17 season, the Celtics added All-Star center Al Horford to their already talented arsenal. This will bring about increased spacing and the opportunity to expose other teams through pick-and-rolls, new isolation play, and improved, versatile defense. Horford, most likely, will improve the Celtics to a possible 2nd seed for the playoffs.
However, the most important key to remember from this progression is that Thomas will benefit. After only five years in the league, the undersized guard is already on this list, but can only get better and increase his efficiency with more help around him.