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NEW YORK — At 5-foot-9, Isaiah Thomas knows a thing or two about being considered too short for the NBA.
Thomas was the “Mr. Irrelevant” of the 2011 NBA Draft, when he went 60th to the Sacramento Kings.
Among the 59 guys taken ahead of Thomas that year were Derrick Williams, the No. 2 overall pick; Jimmer Fredette at No. 10; Josh Harrelson at No. 45; and Josh Selby at No. 49.
Five years later, Thomas went for 20 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in a 97-89 Celtics win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Thomas entered the game averaging team-bests of 21.5 points and 6.6 assists.
Williams, now a reclamation project with the Knicks, managed 6 points and 2 rebounds in the loss.
Thomas’ career arc could be instructive for another 5-foot-9 guard currently in college.
Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis, a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard, is also under-sized and will probably get overlooked by some NBA franchises.
He’s currently projected at No. 48 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
“They probably will, they sleep on all small guards,” Thomas said of Ulis. “But whenever you get that opportunity and that chance, you gotta take full advantage of it.”
Anybody watching college basketball on the regular knows about Ulis. He’s averaging 16.1 points, 6.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds on the season. In Tuesday’s 84-77 loss at Tennessee, Ulis went for 20 points, 5 assists and 1 turnover.
Asked if he thinks Ulis’ game will translate to the NBA — whether he goes this year or another — Thomas said he has no doubt.
“For small guys, I think it translates even better in the NBA than college just because the floor’s more open,” he said. “It gives you more space to create and if he could driblbe-drive and shoot the ball, l think he’s going to have a spot in this league.”
Thomas said Kentucky coach John Calipari asked him to reach out to Ulis before he pledged to Kentucky to offer encouragement.
“I spoke to him before he got to Kentucky,” said Thomas, who played at Washington. “Coach Calipari wanted me to reach out to him though text and I talked to him a little bit.”
And his message?
“Just don’t back down from anybody,” Thomas told Ulis. “Take what’s yours and outwork everybody and have fun with it.”
Ulis has done just that at Kentucky, emerging as the team’s top player regardless of size.
And whether he heads to the NBA this year or later, Thomas believes Ulis will thrive.
“Yep, all the small guys stick together,” he said. “So hopefully he’s the next one.”
