Exclusive: Isiah Thomas Tips Pistons and Knicks for East, Calls Western Conference a ‘Juggernaut’

Isiah Thomas is confident that his former team will make it deep into the playoffs.

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the top teams in the NBA and the best team in the Eastern Conference during the first half of the season. 

The NBA trade deadline is certainly changing the makeup of the league, with the Cleveland Cavaliers making a major move for former MVP James Harden and the Boston Celtics swapping Anfernee Simons for two-time big man Nikola Vucevic. 

While that certainly changes the landscape of the league, Thomas believes it'll be the Pistons against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Thomas was a Hall of Fame guard for the Pistons and served in a head coaching/executive role for the Knicks in his post-NBA career.

"That's a tough one. I'm going to take Detroit and New York in the Eastern Conference Finals. I don't know which one of them wins, but I think they're very even right now. Either one of those teams comes up," Thomas told SportsBoom.us. 

When it comes to his Western Conference pick, Thomas had a little bit more difficulty coming to a conclusive pick. 

He mentioned a number of teams such as the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns.

At first, Thomas picked the Thunder, but then finished out his thoughts by saying he can't confidently "pick one" right now.

"I would have to say OKC, because you know what they did last year," said Thomas. 

"But at the same time, what's going on in San Antonio. We just talked about LA (Lakers), you got Durant and Houston, don't sleep on Phoenix. Phoenix has been playing good basketball when they are healthy, and they can beat anybody out there. The West is going to be a juggernaut in terms of who comes out. I couldn't pick one right now, because everybody is really so evenly matched that it's really tough to pick one."

When it's mentioned that the Spurs have defeated the Thunder in four of their four five this season, Thomas said that if Victor Wembanyama is healthy, the Spurs have the "advantage" over everyone.

"If Wemby's healthy, they have the advantage over everyone," said Thomas. 

"He's that good. Wemby is that good."

Isiah Thomas On LeBron James' Level Of Play

When shifting gears to the best player of this generation, LeBron James, Thomas said he's not sure if the four-time MVP will play another year, but he wants to give major credit to the 41-year-old for playing at an All-Star level this deep into his career. What James is doing at 41 years old and 23 years in has never been done before.

"I don't know if he'll play another year, but I can talk about the year that he's having, which is at 41 years old, unbelievable," said Thomas of James. 

"I played against Kareem when he was 40, and believe it or not, we were double teaming Kareem when he was 40. I played against Kareem in his last NBA game, his last NBA game was in the NBA Finals. What LeBron James is doing at 41 averaging 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds, it's just crazy. It's beyond anything that we've ever seen or could even imagine a player doing at this age."

The Lakers are currently 30-19 and in fifth place in the Western Conference. James will reportedly stay with the Lakers through the end of the 2025-26 season, but his future beyond this season is up in the air. There have been whispers that he could make a return to finish his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

When the idea of James playing deep into his 40's if he wanted to be brought up, Thomas agrees with that notion.

"He's one of the top players, one of the most efficient players, and still playing well," said Thomas. 

"If he still wanted to play, I think he can still play very well, depending on the team and the players that he's with. That'll be interesting."

Lakers' Ability To Make Deep Playoff Run

The Lakers have operated with James playing a clear secondary scoring role behind the likes of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Doncic is leading the league with 33.4 points per game and Reaves is averaging 26.1 points per game. Meanwhile, James is averaging 22.0 points per game, his lowest average since his rookie season with the Cavaliers. 

When asked if James playing third fiddle for the Lakers can work when it comes to making a deep postseason run, Thomas said that it can.

"Absolutely," said Thomas. 

"Luka could come into your building and win one game. He can beat any team out on the road with his offensive arsenal, because he's good enough to walk into your building, drop 40 or 50 points and then he'll have the complimentary offensive pieces that you just can't cheat off of them. When playoff time comes around, the Lakers will be formidable if they're healthy. But Luka's that good offensively, where they'll always be a threat."