Isaiah Thomas is getting his legs back, and that’s good news for the Cavaliers

Isaiah Thomas and LeBron James connected for two gorgeous alley-oops in the first half of the Cavaliers’ loss to the Warriors on Monday night. The highlight-reel plays were a reminder that even though Cleveland has a swarm of new faces on the roster this season, and even though the team isn’t in championship form just yet, its most important acquisition is getting acclimated to playing in The Land.

When the Cavs traded Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, they got back Thomas while he was recovering from a midseason hip injury. They later found out that his hip injury needed time to heal and that their new star point guard would be out until the new year.

The Cavaliers stayed afloat by putting LeBron at point guard — what a genius idea, right? But the brunt of the offensive load, the same load he split with Irving in past seasons, became a burden. Cleveland’s offense started looking one-dimensional.

James is the best player in the world, but even the best need help.

Thomas scored 19 points against the Warriors on Monday, but it took him 21 shots to get there. That percentage was a bit ugly, but if you’re a Cavaliers fan, coach, or player, his shot attempts are a welcome sight.

After all, IT4 missed 35 games before playing in his first game Jan. 2. His matchup with Steph Curry and the Warriors was only his fifth game since returning to the lineup. There’s no way he’s in 100 percent game shape. Eventually, he’ll get there.

“I knew it was going to be like this,” he said on Sunday via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I have no legs. So it’s going to take some time to get it back; even when I played well those first two games I told Coach (Tyronn) Lue it didn’t feel right. It was kind of fool’s gold.”

Thomas is shooting 35 percent from the field and 26 percent from three in his few games back on the court. That’s the least of Cleveland’s worries.

The Cavaliers have other problems they can’t turn their nose at. Cleveland is the 29th worst defense and the oldest team in the NBA. Against younger, athletic teams that run, like Golden State, Houston, Boston and Toronto, that’s one big Achilles’ heel.

But Thomas’s hip, at least at the moment, seems to be perfectly fine, and his on-court chemistry with LeBron is growing every game. Now he just needs to get his legs under him. If there’s anything that will help the Cavaliers get out of their current slump, it’s IT4 back at his vintage level.

“Once he’s at 100 percent, he won’t miss those wide open threes,” LeBron said with a smile after the loss to Golden State. “He’s just trying to get his legs back, on the fly, which is very difficult. ... And once he does that, you know it’ll make us even more dynamic.”

When Thomas was in good condition, he revitalized the Celtics and averaged 28.9 points per game to lead them to the best record in the East and a conference finals matchup against the Cavaliers. And once he gets his conditioning right this time around, IT4 will be everything LeBron needs and more.

“I’m used to stepping on the court and being special,” he said, via McMenamin. “So now I’ve got to work. I’ve got to work my way back and get my legs back and get my legs back to playing at a high level.”