Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas wouldn't rank himself first for the NBA's MVP race. He wouldn't put himself at second, either. But he did put himself ahead of his eastern conference rival LeBron James.
Here's his list for MVP, which he revealed to Brian Scalabrine in an exclusive interview during CSNNE's "Celtics Playoffs Preview."
1. Russell Westbrook
2. James Harden
3. Thomas
4. Kawhi Leonard
5. James
Boston Celtics
Thomas finished third in the NBA in points per game with 28.9, a career-high. He also added 5.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per game in 76 games this season. He shot 46.3 percent from the field, 37.9 from the 3-point line and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line. He helped the Celtics finish first in the East above James' Cavaliers, who were the East's top seed last year.
But Thomas' numbers pale in comparison to Westbrook, who averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists. He shot 42.5 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from the 3-point line and 84.5 percent from the foul line. Despite the departure of Kevin Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder finished sixth in the Western Conference.