Cam Thomas enters his third NBA season at a crossroads in his journey with the Brooklyn Nets. The 2021 first-round pick has been unable to carve out a consistent role during two tumultuous seasons in Brooklyn.
Thomas turned heads across the NBA momentarily last season, becoming the youngest player in league history to score 40 points in three consecutive games. Yet the 21-year-old couldn't crack Brooklyn's rotation late in the year with the Nets searching for scoring following Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's departures.
Despite his inconsistent role thus far, the LSU product had nothing but great things to say about his relationship with Brooklyn GM Sean Marks during a recent podcast appearance:
“It's a great relationship,” Thomas said of Marks on The SchuZ Show. “He knows talent, that's the main thing. You gotta put players on that team that can help. He's done a great job of that and identifying players in certain roles. Honestly, I feel like he's one of the best at his job and I'm glad he's our GM.”
“We're in a good spot. We have a good place to go and a good place to build on for years to come… He's a great GM.”
Cam Thomas offered praise for Sean Marks in a recent interview, saying he has "a great relationship" with the Nets GM:
"It's a great relationship… He's done a great job of identifying players in certain roles. I feel like he's one of the best at his job and I'm glad that he's… pic.twitter.com/WKyT6VlFGj
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) August 10, 2023
With Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson headlining the offense and Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV entering as free-agent backcourt additions, it's uncertain where Cam Thomas will fit in during Brooklyn's first full season of the new era.
Thomas' shot profile last season did not align with a Nets coaching staff that emphasized their desire to attempt 4o-plus threes per game. He attempted 53 percent of his shots from the mid-range, which ranked in the 99th percentile among combo guards, per CleaningTheGlass. While he improved from three on lower volume last year, Thomas has shot just 32 percent from deep over two seasons.
He's also never averaged more than 1.4 assists per game in three seasons at the collegiate and NBA level.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn didn't mince words when pressed about Thomas' benching after his historic scoring stretch, indicating he would like to see the guard round out the less-polished aspects of his game: passing, spot-up shooting, and defense.
“The three games of 40 [points] were awesome, super happy for him. They can’t ever take that away from him. He’s in the record books,” Vaughn said. “But at the same time, we lost two of those games. So the ultimate goal is to create a team and an atmosphere where everyone can be a participant and we’re gonna utilize and maximize everyone’s talent.”
“What I think Cam can be is a bonafide, efficient and productive scorer for us when asked upon.”
Despite his late-season benching, Thomas also had positive things to say about Vaughn's hiring last season, which preceded a franchise-record 18-2 stretch:
“We were going through a transition, a coaching change, and he was just being honest with us and letting us play,” Thomas said of Vaughn. “Midway we went on that hot streak and it was just us playing together, sticking together in the locker room, and knowing what we could accomplish as a team. Everybody was playing well.”
“I feel like it was just him bringing the locker room together because I felt like we did need that change because everybody was kind of all over the place at first. Our first four or five games we were one and four or one and five… I feel like we did need that change a little bit and it helped us.”
Cam Thomas on Jacque Vaughn taking over and the 18-2 stretch that followed:
"We were going through a transition, a coaching change, and he was just being honest with us and letting us play… I feel like it was just him bringing the locker room together because I felt like we… pic.twitter.com/RruJJNzpSg
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) August 10, 2023
Cam Thomas has a team option with Brooklyn after this season before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2024-25.
Could this be the year the talented, young guard finally carves out a consistent role? Thomas was unsure but remained adamant that his approach in training camp and preseason won't change.
“I always try to approach it as I'm gonna earn my spot no matter what,” Thomas said. “I'm gonna play hard in training camp and show what I can do as far as scoring the ball, doing anything, so I can earn my spot to be in the rotation.”
“If the coach decides to play me he does, if he don’t, he don’t. I just know that I put my best foot forward.”
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