“The Lakers said forget analytics and advanced stats! They went with the EYE TEST and signed Isaiah Thomas” - Kendrick Perkins reacts to reports of the LA Lakers signing Thomas

Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas certainly passed his G-League audition Wednesday night. He did so well, in fact, that by Thursday he was back in the NBA with the LA Lakers, who desperately need the help.

The Lakers signed Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception Thursday.

Thomas scored 42 points Wednesday night while playing for the Denver Nuggets' G-League team, showing he is still a bucket-getter.

ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, a former player, took to social media to write about Thomas landing on the Lakers:

"The Lakers said forget analytics and advanced stats! They went with the EYE TEST and signed @isaiahthomas

It will be interesting to see how Thomas fits into this stacked team.

Once one of the league's best scorers, especially when he was a two-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics, injuries have dogged him the past four seasons.

Nevertheless, the Lakers (16-13) have had a shaky start, and after finally looking like they had their roster back enough to start finding a groove, COVID issues hit the team. Earlier Thursday, it was reported that Lakers starting guard Russell Westbrook is in the league's health and safety protocols. That situation likely led to the signing.

Although Thomas, who will turn 33 in February, is unlikely to be a long-term answer, he could play a significant role in helping the team navigate its current predicament. The 10-day contract may be long enough for Westbrook, Dwight Howard and Talen Horton-Tucker, who are all in the health and safety protocols, to return to the lineup.

In the meantime, Thomas should provide some depth and maybe even some scoring punch.

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Isaiah Thomas' NBA career highlights and awards

Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics reacts in the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference finals

Thomas does not have one of the most stacked resumes in the league, but he has competed at a high level, despite being one of the shortest players in the league at 5-foot-9.

The Sacramento Kings selected Thomas with the 60th overall pick (in the second round) of the 2011 draft. He improved in his three seasons with the Kings, but his career really took off when he joined the Celtics from the Phoenix Suns in a three-team deal in 2015.

In the two-plus years Thomas spent in Boston, he was an All-Star in 2016 and again in 2017 and also made the All-NBA second team.

Although he averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game for the Celtics in 2016-17, his career derailed from there. He has played 85 games for five teams in the past four seasons. His only NBA action last season came when he played in three April games for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Washington product has played in 10 seasons, averaging 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field.