NEW ORLEANS — What is apparent is that Isaiah Thomas has the full respect of his NBA brethren, his ascension to two-time All-Star a surprise to some but not those who face him on a nightly basis and deal with his array of moves.

Thomas is here because he has emerged as one of the league’s best scorers with his improved 3-point shot, his ability to create space for the midrange jumper, and his innate skill of maneuvering himself between defenders to score layups.

At All-Star Weekend, Thomas’s contemporaries marvel at his skill, especially those who faced him in college when he was an unknown pint-sized shooting guard from Tacoma, Wash.

Golden State Warriors forward Klay Thompson, a former Washington State standout, played against Thomas seven times in college and they were part of the same 2011 draft class. One of their most enthralling meetings occurred in the opening round of the Pac-10 tournament when Thomas’s Washington Huskies beat Thompson’s Cougars, 89-87, despite 43 points from Thompson.

Thomas finished that game with 21 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals, willing his team to a critical victory that cinched its NCAA Tournament hopes.

“I have a ton of memories from back in Pullman [Wash.], when we played against each other,’’ Thompson said. “I knew he was going to be a good NBA player. Even when he got drafted [60th overall], I thought that was way too low. I thought he was a first-round pick for sure. But to average 30 [points] a game and do what he’s doing, I did not think he was going to do that.

“It was quite a surprise. I’m happy for him. He’s doing great things for the city of Tacoma and the state of Washington, and he’s going to be an All-Star for a long time in this league.’’

Another former college opponent and current rival is Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, who is teammates with one of the more productive little guards in the NBA in All-Star Kyle Lowry. DeRozan had nothing but compliments for Thomas.

“He was always crafty and creative,’’ DeRozan said. “The same type of player he is now and he was always tough. They had a real good team [in Washington], they had a couple of great players on that college team, and to see how far he came is cool.’’

DeRozan has defended Thomas on defensive switches and the 5-foot-9-inch Celtic makes for a difficult cover for bigger players because of his quickness. He puts defenders on skates with his ballhandling skills and speed.

“When you think you can block his shot, you can’t,’’ DeRozan said. “When you think you got him cut off, he’s got so many counters to his moves. Just everything to it is so crafty. For him to be his size but at the same time play like he’s 6-8 is amazing.’’

Atlanta’s Paul Millsap was part of a team that actually defended Thomas well during the playoffs. Thomas shot 39.5 percent from the floor and 28.3 percent from the 3-point line, but his perimeter shot has improved and he burned the Hawks with a game-winning shot during their most recent meeting on Jan. 13.

“It’s tough because he’s low center of gravity and low to the ground,’’ Millsap said. “A lot of defense players can’t get that low. Him being low and on top of that he’s not a small guy. He’s pretty strong. He uses his body well and I think that’s what makes him tough, the way he uses his body when he gets into the lane and finishes.’’

Thomas has received kudos from his point guard cohorts because of his ability to create space for his shot, which is a mandatory skill for scoring guards who are undersized.

“Aww, you talk about an offensive superstar right there,’’ the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving said. “And now that’s he’s taken the next level in terms of making his teammates better, he’s becoming that much more dangerous and that’s why he’s in the MVP talks. He deserves it. He plays hard every single night and he’s going to leave it out there on the floor.’’

Irving, one of the game’s toughest shotmakers, lauded Thomas on his ability to score against much better defenders.

“He’s mastered it, the ability to take contact,’’ Irving said. “He’s taken it to the next level. He’s had to make sure he’s about to shoot, able to drive, still be athletic, and be able to finish over bigs.’’

Lowry, who has punished the Celtics over the years with his ability to score on players such as Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, bigger and more physical players, said the art of scoring on bigs is difficult but necessary.

“You’ve got to find ways to create space,’’ he said. “You know where you want to get to on the floor, you have to understand where you want to get to on the floor. You have one of the smallest guys in the league who create some of the best space in Isaiah Thomas, so it’s just knowing who you are and working on your game and knowing how to get to your spots.

“It’s immense pride when smaller guys flourish. I’m 6-1 so I ain’t that small. But I’m a big fan of his. We’re good friends and it definitely makes me feel good to see anybody do well, any of the people I know, except for against us.’’

Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com.