NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Brooklyn Nets are not in rebuild mode but more like a feeling-out phase. And that includes SG Cam Thomas. This season, Thomas has been everything scoring-wise for the Nets, but will it continue? Better yet, will the Nets let it continue?
Dating back a season ago even when the Nets had their big 3 of Kevin Durant. Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the Nets, due to injuries, were so thin across the board they had no choice but to put Thomas on the floor. During one great stretch, Thomas scored 40+ points in three straight games while hitting double figures in 21 games. Then there would be games where he vanished. Not due to missed shots but he wouldn’t see the floor.
During their playoff run last season, it was More of the same. In the Nets 4 games against the Philadelphia 76ers, Thomas played just 15 minutes. is that how you reward players who can score the ball with ease and one who carried a team for a stretch of the regular season? What’s going on here?
This early in the season, it’s been more of the same. Thomas is leading the Nets in scoring with an average of 28.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting. While sharing the floor with Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges, Thomas is still the best offensive player the Nets have. But will they treat him as they did the previous two seasons?
Is Cam Thomas The Leader Of The Brooklyn Nets Now
What we’re seeing now could just be another .. on his resume. With the Nets being guard-heavy, what happens when Cameron Johnson returns to the lineup? Are the Nets crazy energy to bench Thomas during another hot streak? While not as dominant as the Boston Celtics or the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets still have talent. The issue is, they’re just not at full strength yet and that may cause a problem for the future.
Currently, he has the green light to do whatever. Bridges is struggling, Ben Simmons is not a scorer, Royce O’Neale is a 3-D guy and Nic Claxton has yet to hit the floor. When they get at full strength, how will Jacque Vaughn Jobs divvy up the minutes and responsibilities?
If they do decide to let Thomas continue on this path, the Brooklyn Nets could find themselves back in the playoffs and with a bonafide star on their hands. Imagine if the 76ers decided to handcuff Tyrese Maxey? This is exactly how fans should feel regarding Cam Thomas. He has the potential. He just needs his own team to believe in him long enough so he can show them he’s worth it.
