It took Cam Thomas two months to return to court.
The Nets' young security guards lasted for 57 days, but finally made their comeback on Friday night after a much longer absence.
“Completely. Thomas said shortly before his chip-off in his defeat to the Trail Blazers at Barclays Center on Friday, 121-102. “But I'm just happy to be back. I'm ready to get on the court and play again. So I feel good.”
Friday marked Thomas' first action since January 2nd, and was sidelined by a tense hamstring. He quickly returned to the starting lineup, sharing the honor of team-high scoring with 16 points at 21:18, but shot 17-7 and 4-4.
“A decent first game,” Thomas said.
“Obviously I missed some shots I usually make when I play with rhythm, but that's the nature of going back and playing the first game for a while. So shot, I'm not too worried about that. That's going to come. But it feels good to end the game and not have any pain. That's the main thing I'm happy with. So I had to keep building and keep going.”
Thomas played for Milwaukee on January 2nd, and played for Orlando two games before. But the problem ran deeper and remained longer.
The young guard has only appeared twice since he first injured his hamstring on November 25th, when he got off the floor during his Golden State victory. His short comeback taught him the virtues and values of patience.
“Do everything more diligently, spend more time and be patient with not rushing. That's probably the main thing. But everything is the same. It's more diligent about it, so it won't happen again. Thomas added that it was added to his training plan, but it didn't mean he wasn't going ahead of himself.
“No, the same old, the same old. I'm thinking too much and don't overdo anything. I just do what I'm doing. But during rehabilitation, it became more patient. Rehabilitation was the most important thing. But now it's all good. I'm fine.”
Thomas was cleared last week for a 5-on-5 practice and returned to Portland.
“He got 17 shots in 21 minutes. He's open, and that's what he's doing,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “He still needs to continue playing to get his conditioning and get more time. He's going to continue working.”
Thomas has played just 19 games this season, breaking over six 30 points. The rest of the roster had seven 30-point outings.
“I'm excited to be with his teammates and be on the court to play a basketball game, and that's what he really enjoys,” Fernandez said. “He can be in court, and it was amazing.
“CT is part of the group and he used his voice to help the guys. And this was also good to have him around and be around his teammates in a different way. He's helping us, so that's amazing. And now he has the opportunity to go back to court and do what he does best.”
A pending restricted free agent, Thomas is the best thing to do to get a bucket.
The inappropriate one is the Nets' main scorers, averaging 24.3 points. He also works to deal with the challenge of improving Fernandez's playmaking and defense, combining it with his own natural gravity that helps them with their struggles of attacks.
“It draws attention. He's a weapon and he can score with a bundle,” Fernandez said. “And even if they double him, at the right intervals – you can get a good shot. So the game he played, he made a difference. That's what we expect from him.
“We also need him to become a playmaker and a defender, so we have a full game. And he's working hard and we're not only doing something easier for him, but getting better, 1% better, making him a better player and making us a better team.”
