Isaiah: Lakers session was 'the first real practice I had all year'
Jae Crowder isn't the only one who's better off after being shipped out of Cleveland.
New Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas was asked about his conditioning having returned to action only a month ago after spending the previous seven months recovering from a hip injury.
"I'm feeling good. I'm alright. I'm not 100 percent, but I'm getting there. Each and every day is a positive day for me," he said, as quoted by ClutchPoints' Ryan Ward.
Related - Crowder: 'I got back to having fun' following trade from Cavs
He then took aim at the Cavaliers, who were notorious for holding few practices because, prior to their trade-deadline shuffling, they had the oldest roster in the NBA.
"I mean, this is the first real practice I had all year," the two-time All-Star said. "Let's see how my hip responds tomorrow with the soreness and things like that, but I'm here. I'm here and I'm happy. Got my joy back and I'm ready to put on a show for the Lakers."
Related: Can Isaiah rediscover his All-Star form with Lakers?
Thomas put on a show in his Lakers debut Saturday, hanging 22 points, six assists, and a steal on the Mavericks. He looked more comfortable in those 31 minutes than in 15 games with the Cavaliers, with whom he registered career lows in shooting and looked like a shell of the top-five MVP candidate he was just a season ago.
Asked why things didn't work out with the Cavaliers, Thomas said there were a lot of new players - eight, to be precise - and it "just didn't click, for whatever reason." The dynamic scorer was eager to put all the in-fighting, finger-pointing, and underperforming behind him while joining the club he always dreamed of playing for.
Related - Frye: Cavs weren't built to sacrifice for each other
"I'm happy to be a Laker. I'm happy to be in Los Angeles and to get that joy and happiness back of playing and just working hard each and every day," Thomas said, adding the team's camaraderie "makes it easier on the floor when you go to battle.
"When you hit adversity, you don't go your separate ways. You keep going, and I think in this organization, everybody's here to play for each other and have a positive mindset when it comes to it."