Nets want Cam Thomas to make the most of his opportunities
Nets guard Cam Thomas looks on against the Celtics during the second half of an NBA game at Barclays Center on Feb. 24. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
By its very nature, growth is not linear. There are always going to be growing pains; progress will be measured in fits and starts.
For Cam Thomas, improvement will not necessarily be based on points per game. Rather, it will be judged by how he modifies his game when playing with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, and how he plays when those stars are given games off.
“I just want him to be a [player] who makes the right choice,” Jacque Vaughn said in a Wednesday morning Zoom availability. “Sometimes three passes in a row is going to be the right choice [and] sometimes three shots in a row is going to be the right choice.”
By Vaughn’s own admission, it is not an easy task. He pointed out that the coaching staff thought the second-year guard from LSU needed to score 30 points in order for the Nets to win in Indiana on Saturday since eight players sat out, including Durant and Irving. Thomas finished with a career-high 33 points in 29 minutes and the Nets walked out of Gainbridge Fieldhouse136-133 victors. However, two nights later in Washington, with a full roster at Vaughn’s disposal, Thomas only played 19 minutes and scored five points.
For Vaughn, the “challenge” the 21-year-old player in his second season will face is maximizing his opportunities when he is not the first scoring option on the floor.
“Value that first and second possession just the way you value the possession when you knew [you were going to have] this ninth, 10th, and 11th shot,” Vaughn said. “Can he get better that way? And if he does, man, that is a huge step for a young guy. To be able to work towards [the] very first mid-range shot or penetration that I get or jab three that I get is just as important as that fourth-quarter shot when I had the leeway to take four shots in a row. That growth for him would be huge as a player.”
Which is why Vaughn is delighted to see Thomas regularly working with Durant at practices.
“That’s been a huge development with our team,” Vaughn said. “His want and desire to be the best basketball player he can be, I think that’s a trait Kevin appreciates. Kevin’s a worker. And when he sees Cam at the same bucket with him working on his game and Cam working on his game at a different bucket, that means a lot when your peers see you work on your game.”
Notes & quotes:The Nets did not practice Wednesday. Instead, Vaughn said they held a “get-what-you-need-day.” And what does that entail? “Some guys might need a second day off,” Vaughn explained. “Some guys need a massage. Some guys who will come in and get shots. Some guys will come in and talk to me. It’s a laundry list of whatever you need to get you right.” . . . The Nets are scheduled to hold practice Thursday before embarking on a two-game road trip to Toronto (Friday) and Detroit (Sunday).
