Cam Thomas' return from his hamstring injury will take longer. Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez had no update on Thomas' return when asked at practice on Wednesday, exactly three weeks after Thomas suffered his injury. The Nets released a statement on Nov. 7 saying that Thomas would be reevaluated in three to four weeks.
Thomas strained his left hamstring during the first quarter of a Nov. 5 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Nets guard injured the same hamstring three times last season, limiting him to 25 games.
Thomas averaged 24.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .408/.356/.875 shooting splits across seven appearances this season before his injury. The fifth-year guard dominated the ball in the Nets' offense, posting a 31.5 percent usage rate, the 18th-highest in the NBA.
Nets have no update on Cam Thomas three weeks removed from hamstring injury
While Thomas is the Nets' only high-level shot creator, the team has improved following his injury. With Thomas sidelined, Brooklyn has distributed its ball-handling responsibilities more evenly throughout the team. The rebuilding squad's offense has played at nearly the same level in his absence, dropping from a 113.0 rating (21st) with Thomas to a 111.8 rating (22nd) without him.
Meanwhile, the team's defense has improved significantly since Thomas exited the lineup. The Nets ranked dead-last in the NBA with a 128.5 defensive rating while posting a 0-7 record over their first seven games. They rank 21st with a 118.5 rating while posting a 3-7 record following Thomas' injury.
Given the Nets' lack of an update on Thomas three weeks removed from his injury, he's likely to be sidelined for another extended period. He'll need time to ramp up once he's cleared to return to practice.
Given the Nets' recent improvement, it's unclear where Thomas will fit into their rotation upon his return. The former first-round pick is in a contract season after failing to agree to an extension with Brooklyn this summer and signing his $5.9 million qualifying offer.
Thomas will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a no-trade clause this season.
