Nets: Mikal Bridges sends strong message to Cam Thomas after scoring explosion vs. Cavs

Brooklyn Nets fans spent a large portion of the last two seasons calling for Cam Thomas to receive a more prominent role. They got their wish Wednesday, and once again, Thomas delivered in emphatic fashion.

The third-year Net set an NBA record for points off the bench in a season-opener, scoring 36 on 13-of-21 shooting during a 114-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brooklyn got off to a slow start offensively and trailed 19-7 when Thomas entered the game with 7:20 remaining in the first quarter. He proceeded to score 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line to close the frame. Thomas followed that by scoring nine points in both the third and fourth quarters, carrying an otherwise sputtering offense and keeping the Nets within striking distance.

Brooklyn would come up short with Donovan Mitchell scoring seven points in the final two minutes to lead a Cavaliers comeback. Despite the disappointing loss, Mikal Bridges made it no secret what he envisions as Thomas' role this season.

“That's his job, to come off the bench and bring instant offense,” Bridges said. “Defensively, he's been playing hard, being in the right spots. That was a big thing for him to learn. But that's what he's supposed to do off the bench. He's supposed to lead that bench in scoring and provide offense.”

“When he scores like that, then teams overhelp and he can find other guys. That's what he's supposed to do. He can score the hell out of the ball.”

Scoring has never been an issue for Thomas throughout his career. He led all freshmen in points during his lone season at LSU before winning the NBA Summer League scoring title in consecutive years. Last season, with the Nets in flux amid Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trade negotiations, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in three consecutive games.

Vaughn made it known last season that he wanted to see Thomas round out the less-polished aspects of his game: passing, spot-up shooting, and defense. The coach has been pleased with the young guard's improvement in those areas early this year and has rewarded him with an expanded role.

Thomas' shot creation is now an essential asset in a Nets rotation lacking three-level scoring. The former first-round pick did most of his damage with the second unit Wednesday, with Vaughn choosing to deploy him as a lead ball handler in those lineups, a setup Thomas appeared pleased with.

“Our pace was good, we were playing fast, getting into early actions,” he said of the second unit. “Getting a lot of weaker defenders in the actions which was our gameplan, trying to get those defenders involved in as many actions as we can and just go downhill and attack, make plays for others. I feel like we did a lot of good things with that second group. We brought us back from being down, so there's a lot of things to build off with that second group.”

While Thomas caught fire Wednesday, it remains to be seen how his shot profile fits within Brooklyn's offense long-term. Last season, his shot chart did not align with a Nets coaching staff that frequently emphasized their desire to attempt 40-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.

It was more of the same Wednesday. With Thomas handling the ball for long spurts, Brooklyn attempted just 27 threes compared to Cleveland's 43, resulting in a 17-9 disparity in threes made.

Brooklyn made it clear throughout the preseason that Ben Simmons would serve as the team's primary ball handler, his ability to push the pace and find teammates for open threes/layups being the main reason why. Thomas continuing his elite scoring could put the Nets in a precarious position, especially if Simmons doesn't show more scoring ability and spacing concerns continue alongside Nic Claxton in the starting lineup.

While the team's offensive philosophy remains in question, one thing is certain: Cam Thomas has elite scoring ability and should be a fixture in Brooklyn's rotation moving forward. And while he said his 2023-24 debut was encouraging, Thomas' postgame message was one of consistency as he attempts to secure the extensive role that eluded him during his first two seasons.

“It felt good. Obviously, you want to win, but it's good to always reflect on what you do well. It's a good thing to do first game of the year,” he said. “I just have to keep building on it. It was only one game. I'm big on consistency. So I'm gonna just flush this and get on with the next game against Dallas.”