Cam Thomas is making his long-awaited return to the Brooklyn Nets' lineup. Jordi Fernandez announced that Thomas, who has been sidelined since Nov. 5 by a left hamstring strain, will play on Saturday vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Thomas' return comes amid a dramatic Brooklyn turnaround in the wake of his absence. The Nets are 9-12 following the fifth-year guard's injury. They posted a 0-7 record to start the season with him in the lineup.
Thomas dominated the ball offensively during that span, posting a 31.5 percent usage rate, the 18th-highest in the NBA. He averaged 24.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .408/.356/.875 shooting splits.
While Thomas is Brooklyn's lone high-level on-ball creator, the team's offense has been relatively unfazed in his absence.
Cam Thomas returning to Nets' lineup following multi-month hamstring injruy
The Nets posted a 113.0 offensive rating during their 0-7 start. They've posted a 111.3 rating across their last 21 games.
Michael Porter Jr. has emerged as an All-Star candidate during that span, averaging 27.3 points — the 11th-most in the NBA – on 50/42/83 shooting splits. Young prospects such as Noah Clowney, Egor Demin, Danny Wolf and Drake Powell have also shown promise during the stretch.
Meanwhile, the Nets' defense has undergone an incredible turnaround following Thomas' injury.
They ranked dead last with a 128.5 defensive rating during their 0-7 start. Since Noah Clowney replaced the injured Thomas in Brooklyn's starting lineup, the team ranks sixth in the NBA with a 111.7 rating. The Nets hold the league's best defense in December while posting a 6-3 record.
Fernandez recently acknowledged his team's improved play following Thomas' injury when asked about how the guard would fit in upon his return.
“That’s a good question,” the coach. “The context is different [now]. Before Cam got hurt, obviously, his superpower was the ability he had to score. At the same time, we always want to see playmaking efficiency and improvement on defense. So all those things were important at the time. Now, he's been out, the team continues to get better and play in a [good] way… The skillset, he’s very unique and very good at what he does. But at the same time, now the group is taking positive steps.
“For the most part, I’m very happy with the whole group. And now when he comes back, it’s going to be on me to figure out how we introduce him into the group, and thinking that the most important thing, it’s always the group. And then from there, it's [that] you’re willing to do whatever it takes to help the group and obviously improve yourself. That’s how this works: Team success will bring your own success as well.”
It's unclear whether Thomas will start or come off the bench on Saturday. Demin has shown promise since moving into Brooklyn's starting lineup at point guard. Meanwhile, Terance Mann has started every appearance this season as the team's oldest player. The Nets also have a crowded backcourt rotation in the second unit, featuring Powell, Nolan Traore and Tyrese Martin.
Thomas' future with Brooklyn is up in the air after he turned down a two-year, $15 million contract featuring a team option this summer in favor of his $6 million qualifying offer. The former first-round pick will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a no-trade clause this season.
