The NBA creates stories every season. Teams and players that, against all odds, assault logic and surprise the world. Wrapped in a mystique difficult to compare, they take the spotlight and the latest case is Cam Thomas.
The Brooklyn Nets shooting guard, who already showed hints of his scoring ability in the previous two seasons, has exploded as one of the big surprises this campaign. Something unusual, considering his irregularity last year. He has become one of the most fun and entertaining players to watch.
With four 30-point games in the first seven of the season (36, 30, 33), including a 45-point game against the ring-contending Milwaukee Bucks, Thomas has excelled at every range.
Off the bounce, moving without the ball, passing blocks, mid-range, long-range – he dominates every aspect. His great specialty.
The spearhead of the Nets
In a team under construction, with no fixed direction, Thomas has become one of the references. Mikal Bridges, the star, the most differential, is Vaughn’s shadow on the court. Cam Johnson, Ben Simmons, Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton shore up the defensive end. Without a clear scorer capable of solving the game in important moments, Thomas has stepped up.
A candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year, Thomas is averaging (28.7 points), more than in his previous two seasons (8.5 and 10.6), combined. He is the only player of the five players who have scored more than 200 points this season who is not All-NBA. He’s in the same class as Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic.
Last season, in three consecutive games, he scored 44, 47 and 43 points, and finished the regular season with 46 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Being more intermittent than regular, he has given hints of what he can become.
His one season in college was sensational. At LSU he was the great captain, averaging 23 points in 2020/21, dominating the SEC (conference where Louisiana State plays).
Steve Nash didn’t trust him much, and Vaughn wants to. His role is to score. He’s a player who passes the ball when he’s overmatched. He creates his own shots. He is becoming the main attraction of a Nets that move wherever the wind takes them.