Struggling Lakers lose Anthony Davis, but could addition of Isaiah Thomas be a silver lining?
Sometimes, it's best to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty.
The Los Angeles Lakers' 110-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves could be seen as a disappointment, especially with Anthony Davis suffering a knee injury in the process
Note: News broke on Saturday that Davis' injury is an MCL sprain that will keep him out for at least four weeks.
But if there was a small reason for optimism amidst all the bad news, it was the performance that veteran guard Isaiah Thomas turned in coming off of the bench.
With the ink barely dry on his freshly signed 10-day contract with the Lakers, Thomas led all L.A. scorers with 19 points in 21 minutes of playing time.
He shot 5-for-12 from the field and proved that he might be the offensive spark the Lakers need in their second unit.
L.A. entered Friday night without guards Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk and Avery Bradley, who were all unavailable due to being placed in health and safety protocols.
Horton-Tucker and Bradley are both regular starters, while Monk is usually the first guard off the bench for the Lakers. With a combined 26.8 points missing from the lineup, and Davis going down injured, there was a need for Thomas' scoring, and he proved he was more than capable.
The scoring outburst shouldn't come as a complete surprise from Thomas, who at his peak averaged 28.9 PPG in the 2016-2017 NBA season, leading the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals.
And just as recently as Monday night, he dropped 42 points in a G-League appearance, which helped prompt his signing with the Lakers.
The addition of Thomas to the Lakers could take an already productive bench to elite status if he were able to sustain this level of play.
The Lakers average 37.1 bench PPG, good enough for seventh in the Western Conference and 11th overall.
Carmelo Anthony (13.2 PPG) and Monk (9.7 PPG) provide the majority of the Lakers' scoring punch from the bench currently, and the addition of Thomas could provide the Lakers with three players who can shoot from beyond the arc while creating their own shots.
Currently sitting at sixth in the conference standings (16-14), the Lakers need any type of boost they can find.
Thomas might just be that answer.
