NBA: 10 Burning Questions at the 2018 All-Star Break

#8 Is Isaiah Thomas the 'superstar' done?

The Los Angeles Lakers are Isaiah Thomas' fifth team in a seven-year NBA career

The average height in the league is about 6"6', so if you are 5"9' you have got to pack a punch and former Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas might not have that anymore. There's certainly no denying that he can score but can his offense outweigh his defensive lapses anymore?

It's not a question of effort or his drive. It's simple, Thomas is almost a foot shorter than the average player in the league, which makes it easier to shoot over him, pass over him and post him up. He is basically a huge defensive liability, however, during his time with the Celtics, head coach Brad Stevens was able to shield him enough that his offensive contribution outweighed his defensive shortcomings.

The same can't be said about Thomas' short stay in Cleveland and with his current team - the Los Angeles Lakers. Last season (76 games), he was ranked 467th (468 total players) in Defensive Real Plus-Minus by ESPN. This season (17 games), over a shorter sample size, he is ranked 480th in a total pool of 488 players.

The modern NBA is not just about the pace and space. It's all about two-way versatility and obviously, the Warriors have led that charge, not just at having as many two-way players as possible but at also showing how to exploit the players on the opposition's squad that can efficiently contribute on only one side of the ball.

We have gone from MVP Thomas to whether he can last in the league and that's primarily because of his size and the defensive liability he brings along with it. His motivation to prove people wrong and rise back to his past status is understandable, given that it's his contract year, but right now, what he is saying in his postgame interviews isn't helping his cause.