Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has emerged as one of the NBA's top scorers while stepping into an expanded role with the team early on this season. The 23-year-old is averaging 26.8 points per game, the 14th-most in the NBA, on 48.4 percent shooting from the field.

While his high-level production has surprised the casual viewer, Brooklyn's coaching staff was familiar with Thomas' elite scoring ability well before his early-season breakout. Thomas became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40-plus points in three consecutive games last season, yet he couldn't crack Brooklyn's rotation late in the year despite a glaring need for scoring after the team traded away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

However, head coach Jacque Vaughn commended the third-year Nets' training camp performance ahead of this season and rewarded him with a rotation spot for the first time in his career. During an interview with GQ Sports, Thomas revealed where he has improved most so far in the young 2023-24 campaign.

“I'm honestly playing some good defense this year. I'm getting a lot of credit from the coaches for that,” he told Cam Wolf. “[Jacque has] definitely been very, very happy with how I've been guarding because most teams get me on their best player and then try to score. So me just being able to get those plays shows that he can trust me in a game to defend and get a key stop if he needs it.”

“So I feel like that's been a big thing, just gaining that trust on both ends. Offensively, it'll take care of itself, but gaining that trust defensively was a big thing for me.”

In addition to defense, Vaughn made it no secret last season that he wanted to see the former first-round pick improve as a playmaker.

Cam Thomas is focusing on improving that aspect of his game amid increased opportunity.

“Where I can keep growing is the playmaking aspect,” he told JJ Redick on The Old Man and the Three podcast. “It's kinda tough because on our team we have Ben [Simmons] and Spencer [Dinwiddie]. We have the ball handlers and playmaking. I'm still in the aspect of scoring.”

“But obviously, I wanna be – I wouldn't say point guard – but the guy bringing the ball up. At a point in time, it's gonna turn into that with some of the lineups we have when Spence is out. Ben's out right now, so there will be some lineups where I'm the point guard. I just wanna keep making good reads and improving in that aspect.”

Thomas returned to Brooklyn's lineup during Thursday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets after missing the team's previous nine games with an ankle sprain. He picked up where he left off, scoring a team-high 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting off the bench while playing on a minutes restriction.

With Ben Simmons sidelined by a nerve impingement in his back, Thomas should receive increased opportunities as a ball handler and facilitator as he re-integrates himself into the Nets rotation.