Isaiah Thomas is still searching for his All-Star form in the playoffs


Isaiah Thomas hasn't been his normal self so far this round against the Atlanta Hawks. Mustering a 4-for-15 statline in a game 2 loss in which he tallied just 16 points, Thomas continued the trend of poor shooting so far this postseason.

These shooting woes aren't exclusive to just this series, but Isaiah's playoff numbers overall:


The series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year's first round saw Thomas locked down by the likes of Kyrie Irving and Matthew Dellavedova, and this seven-game set is no different. Post game, Thomas had this to say, via Chris Forsberg of ESPN:
The best players figure it out. That’s just a sign of respect from [the Hawks], and I just gotta figure it out.

And he is being respected. Mostly by utilizing a lack of respect for the other Celtics on the floor. Last night Boston put up an eyesore from deep: 5-for-28, or 17.9%. With such poor shooting, the Hawks could afford to fill the paint on defense. They could afford to dare a hobbled Jae Crowder from outside, or a frustrated Marcus Smart who couldn't find his touch. So the Hawks were laying back and contesting Isaiah's signature drives. Occasionally he could dump it off to Amir Johnson or Tyler Zeller, but more often than not, it didn't ended well for the Green Bullet.



"The best players figure it out." With game three coming to the Garden on Friday night, it's important that Isaiah figures it out soon.

Topher Lane is on Twitter, @Topher_L. Photo credit: Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports