Cam Thomas Injured Again
Cam Thomas is set to be out for a while due to a hamstring injury. The Nets’ second-leading scorer has been diagnosed with a strain in his left hamstring and will be assessed again in about three to four weeks.
This 24-year-old guard has faced similar issues before, having hurt the same hamstring three times last season, which kept him to just 25 games. However, Thomas feels that this time, it’s not as serious as the past injuries. “It’s totally different,” he mentioned. “Not as bad as last time. I dodged a bullet with that one. It’s frustrating to get hurt, but I’m not worried at all…I don’t expect to be out that long, but we’ll see. The hamstring injury is definitely not a nuisance.”
He sustained the injury during the first quarter of the Nets’ season-opening win over Indiana on Wednesday, failing to score in the first six minutes. So far this season, Thomas is averaging 21.4 points per game and shooting 35.6 percent from beyond the arc, although his overall field goal percentage sits at a career-low of 40.2 percent.
“We don’t have another Cam Thomas,” said coach Jordi Fernandez. “Teams will adjust. As a head coach, you think about whether you need to switch up the playstyle—maybe play more off the ball or adapt the pick-and-roll. All those factors change, just like last year.”
He added, “What hasn’t changed is we have to play hard with purpose. If we can do that, we’ll be fine.”
Interestingly, it seems that footwear may be a factor in injuries this season. Rookie Drake Powell played seven minutes in his NBA debut before leaving with a sprained right ankle. After attempting to return at Barclays Center ten days later and re-injuring the same ankle against the 76ers, Powell decided to take action. “I’ve already thrown away the shoe that hurt my ankle,” he said. “I will never use it again.”
This time around, Powell managed to escape injury, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds in 27 minutes in his latest game. His first season in the league will likely see him split time between the Brooklyn team and the Long Island G League squad. However, the athletic 6-foot-5 guard has the potential to make a significant impact on a team struggling defensively.
Fernandez praised Powell, saying, “Every time he’s gotten a chance, he’s made good use of his time. He’s a player who can imagine himself in so many different roles. The way he moves on the floor is elite. We drafted him because he was probably the best athlete in this draft. It’s impressive to watch.”
In another note, rookie Egor Demin made his first career start, contributing eight points, seven assists, and three rebounds in 23 minutes. Other first-round picks, Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, and Danny Wolf, joined forces to help the Long Island Nets secure a win in their season opener.
