Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has taken a significant step towards returning from a month-long absence due to a hamstring injury. Thomas underwent an MRI earlier this week that showed progress in the healing of his hamstring. He has begun on-court work and will have his status updated in approximately two weeks, the Nets announced Saturday.
Thomas has been sidelined for the last month after injuring his left hamstring during a Nov. 5 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Nets guard injured the same hamstring three times last season, limiting him to 25 games.
Brooklyn released a statement on Nov. 7 saying Thomas would be sidelined for 3-4 weeks.
Cam Thomas nearing return from hamstring injury after month-long absence
Thomas averaged 24.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .408/.356/.875 shooting splits across seven games before his hamstring injury. The Nets posted a 0-7 record with the NBA's worst net rating (-15.5) during that span. However, the team has shown improvement following Thomas' injury, posting a 6-10 record while ranking 20th in net rating (-4.0).
Brooklyn's offensive rating has dipped by only 1.1 points (113.0 to 111.9) after Thomas' injury, while its defensive rating has improved by 12.6 points (128.5 to 115.9)
Michael Porter Jr. and Noah Clowney have turned in breakout stretches as focal points of the Nets' offense with Thomas sidelined. Meanwhile, rookies Egor Demin, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf have shown promise as featured pieces in the rotation.
Thomas dominated the ball in the Nets' offense before his injury, posting a 31.5 percent usage rate, the 18th-highest in the NBA, per CleaningTheGlass. How Jordi Fernandez reintegrates the fifth-year guard to the rotation amid Brooklyn's improved play will be a main storyline to monitor in the coming weeks.
Thomas will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after failing to agree to a contract extension with the Nets and signing his qualifying offer. He will be eligible to be traded on Dec. 15, but will have veto rights on any deal.
