MILWAUKEE — An injured Cam Thomas spent Monday's loss in a hoodie and casual clothes, talking with Nets owner Joe Tsai at the end of Miami's bench.
But it looks like Thomas could suit up and finally return to the court sooner rather than later.
It's not too soon for Tsai and the Nets.
“Cam is doing great,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. “The same goes for Zaile. [Williams]. They played 5-on-5 and did a great job. So let's see how they feel afterwards. That's part of the process they're currently working on. It looks like it's getting closer. ”
Thomas will miss at least one more game and will miss his 12th straight game Thursday against Milwaukee with a hamstring injury.
The Nets ended Christmas without a leading scorer since before Thanksgiving.
And the results were ugly.
The Nets' offense has been severely sluggish since Thomas was injured, going just 3-8.
“It would be great to have Cam Thomas back and get a real half-court bucket, half-court scorer,” center Nick Claxton said. “That's fine. We miss him so much right now.”
Thomas is certainly a bucket-lister, averaging a team-high 24.7 points on impressive shooting splits of .461/.389/.866, with all but the last one a career high. are.
He also faces Fernandez's challenge of becoming more efficient, as shown by his effective field goal percentage (.544) and true shooting (.606).
And along with Thomas, he disrupted the offense.
The Nets have been successful this season primarily due to their incredible offensive strength.
When Thomas last played on Nov. 25, the Nets ranked eighth in the league in offensive rating (115.0).
However, the Nets rank 26th or fifth-worst in games played since then with a 105.9 rating.
The departure of point guard Dennis Schroder made things even worse.
“Obviously, it's different for everyone. We have a lot of guys in our spots, but our offense is different now, so it's just everyone adjusting. It's part of the game. We're professionals. So it's not easy. It's definitely a challenge,” Claxton said. “But we'll get there. And like I said, when we get there. [Thomas] Please come back, it will be helpful. ”
Without Schroder to run the pick-and-roll, Brooklyn relies almost entirely on Ben Simmons to run the transition.
If we can't run the early offense or get points, we'll be a mess in the half court.
The roster lacks players who can make their own shots or beat defenders off the dribble.
Cam Johnson is in the midst of a mid-career breakthrough, showing newfound ability, but that's not his strength.
But it is, and always will be, Thomas's.
His 1.24 points per possession on isolations is the best in the league (among players who averaged more than two isos in 15 games).
The eight, which ranks just behind Thomas with Jayson Tatum's 1.18, Kevin Durant's 1.14 and Kyrie Irving's 1.13, should show how prolific he has become.
And how important it is for a team that was already short on talent.
Thomas already leads the NBA in points off handoffs, and Fernandez is taking advantage of that.
But in a post-Schroder offense, he will likely spend more time as a pick-and-roll ball handler.
His 1.08 ppg is top 10 in the league.
“We're just trying to find our identity, figuring out what we want to do, how we're going to score and what that shot looks like. We're just trying to develop that. I think I’ll keep going and get better,” Cam Johnson said. “We just have a different flow.” 1735190096. That's exactly right. ”
Dorian Finney-Smith (left calf contusion) and Simmons (lower back injury management) are both questionable for the game against the Bucks. Williams was absent due to left knee sprain.
