Despite last season's scoring bursts, Cam Thomas' role for Nets remains unclear
Nets guard Cam Thomas shoots a free throw during training camp at the Nets HSS Training Center on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Cam Thomas seemed surprised when asked if the Nets or coach Jacque Vaughn gave him advice this offseason to help increase his role.
“Honestly, I’ve been told nothing,” Thomas said at Media Day this week. “The only thing that [Vaughn] told me was just get my body right and obviously that’s something I wanted to do anyway this summer. Get my body right and get stronger.”
Thomas did that, adding 10 pounds of muscle. But his role remains up in the air despite last season’s scoring binges as the Nets added veteran guards Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Smith Jr. in free agency.
Thomas had four games with at least 40 points, including a three-game streak that made him the youngest person in NBA history to do so. He had a career-high 47 points against the Clippers.
However, the 21-year-old also struggled to stay in the rotation and was a non-factor in last season’s first-round loss to the 76ers. Thomas spent time this offseason trying to learn from the extremes of his second season.
“I really just want to take the positives that happened last season and keep building on it,” Thomas said. “Obviously, I looked at the weaknesses and what stuff I can just get better at and I want to improve on that so I can be on the floor a little more.”
Scoring alone won’t help there. Vaughn said Thursday that playing time is performance based and implied that Thomas can do more to match the versatility most of the roster presents.
That includes improving on the defensive end. At the same time, it’s tough denying what Thomas showed as a scorer.
“He does have a skill of being able to play isolation basketball and get a bucket. That’s proven,” Vaughn said. “I think for us as a team going forward, we’ve got to ask ourselves, are we good enough to play isolation basketball and that be okay for us to win?
“What situations can we be in over and over again as the season goes along – not just sporadic in games – and put ourselves in a position to win basketball games? I don’t think we can play isolation basketball and win basketball games on a consistent basis.”
The Nets were 1-3 in the four games Thomas crossed the 40-point mark. When he scored between 20-39 points, the Nets were 4-4.
Finding consistency is a struggle for young players on veteran teams. Nic Claxton related to Thomas, as Claxton struggled his first three seasons before breaking out last year.
“Your professionalism can be tested when you're young and it has for him,” Claxton said. “But one thing I see from him every day, even when he's not playing, he's showing up every day. He's working extremely hard and we’re going to need scoring.”
How much they’ll need from Thomas depends on Vaughn. It’s also up to Thomas to show improvements as a playmaker and defender.
But it’s a challenge he wants after showing how lethal his scoring touch can be.
“Whatever the role is, if it’s still the same role or if it goes up more, I’ll be ready for it no matter what,” Thomas said.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
