The Isaiah Thomas MVP chants are getting louder

On Wednesday night, Isaiah Thomas heard a now familiar sound echoing around the TD Garden as he approached the free-throw line in a game against the Dallas Mavericks. Celtics fans were calling for the 60th pick of the 2011 NBA draft to be named MVP.

Although Boston has only played 11 games of the 2016-2017 season, fans are excited about their point guard’s elite level of play. The 27-year-old has averaged an impressive 27.2 points, 6.6 assists and 1 steal per game since opening night.

Thomas, who was named as an All-Star for the first time in February, believes that he has a long way to go before he earns the right to be considered as a potential MVP:

IT on MVP chants: "It's surreal. It doesn't seem real. But I've got a lot to improve on to become an MVP."

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) 17 November 2016

The 5'9 guard may hear the chant regularly this year, as he seems to be finding himself at the line more often than most players in the NBA:

Thomas is sixth in the NBA in attempted free throws with 111. The next highest Celtics (Bradley and Brown) have attempted 20 each.

— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) 17 November 2016

In an otherwise underwhelming victory against Dallas, Thomas certainly played like an MVP. He exploded when called upon, scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter. He finished the game with 30 points and 6 assists.

It would be an excellent achievement if Thomas was able to propel himself into genuine MVP discussion as the season progressed. More importantly however, the offensive punch he offers Brad Stevens is essential for the Celtics if they are to build on consecutive playoff appearances and make some postseason noise.


Follow Josh Coyne on Twitter at @Poundcoyne

Image Credit:
AP Photo/Nick Wass