James Harden sees a gem in Brooklyn Nets rookie Cam Thomas.
Drafted 27th overall this year out of LSU, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has put his offensive prowess on display throughout the Summer League and in preseason play, thus far.
As such, Thomas has caught the attention of the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player.
“Obviously Cam was a much better scorer than I was coming out of college.” Harden told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “It’s just rare you get those guys who can just get a bucket in any form or fashion. But he’s young, he learns, he listens and he works his butt off. As a young guy, that’s all you can ask for.”
Thomas, who can be considered as James Harden 2.0 mainly due to his bucket-getting ability, averaged 27.0 points per game in the Las Vegas tournament where he won co-MVP honors with Sacramento Kings rookie Davion Mitchell.
In the Nets' preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, a game where Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving all sat out, Thomas proved he's capable of racking up points against an NBA defense. He finished the game with 21 markers on 7-of-14 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds and two assists.
Things will be a lot different in the regular season when Harden, Durant, and, whenever possible, Irving, are all available. Regardless, Thomas has a golden opportunity just to be able to watch elite superstars go to work every day in practice.
He has a front seat to greatness which will only make him more equipped when his number gets called.
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