LOS ANGELES — It's been 906 days since the 2021 NBA Draft and 906 days since Cam Thomas fell to the bottom of the first round.
The Nets guard still carries a chip on his shoulder half the size of Brooklyn's that night. He will probably live another 906 days from now.
“Honestly, I feel like the goalposts are always moving for me from everything I watch,'' Thomas said Friday night, scoring a game-high 33 points to defeat the Lakers, the Nets' fourth straight loss. He said this after putting an end to it. “Now when people score all these points, it's all praise. But when I was scoring all these points, it was always a knock: 'Oh, he can't play defense. ”. Oh, he won't pass. ’ But when you see others doing the same thing, it becomes admiration.
“…All I know is what I do, what I bring to the team, and how that is valued within the team. So I really understand myself. Stay true to and don't let trolls and things like that get in your head.
“But yeah, obviously the draft, obviously I still carry that chip on my shoulder. Even now. So whatever it is, all the teams I picked ahead of Brooklyn, I just went out there and , just try to kill them every time. So try to show everyone they made a mistake.”
Most of the NBA was surprised Thomas was still sitting there, even though they picked him ahead of the Nets, who selected him 27th overall that night. He was well known for his scoring exploits in high school, on the EYBL circuit, and at LSU, but when selection to Brooklyn came around, he was the last of the 20 players invited to the Green Room to still remain. .
So the Nets, who studied Thomas early in the pre-draft process and interviewed him a week before draft night, were happy to call him on.
Thomas' free fall is over. But his fuel was just beginning to build up.
The quiet but confident guard used his fall on draft night as motivation to continue working on himself to this day.
“I think everyone is like that, especially Cam Thomas,” said Nets center Nic Claxton, the No. 31 overall pick. “A lot of players are better than him, but he's playing really well and playing better than those players. So it's definitely good to see him grow.”
“Let's go back to the lineup, so we can see more.”
Outwardly, Thomas could best be described as stoic. But privately, the 22-year-old is using every bucket he gets, including sending Austin Reeves up the court with dirty spin moves and midrange jumpers, as proof that the team that inherited him made a mistake. .
The battle for a rotation spot was uphill for the first two seasons — first under Steve Nash and then under replacement Jacque Vaughn — due to defensive and playmaking deficiencies that Thomas alluded to. Ta–. But whether he starts or comes off the bench, his scoring ability is too important for him not to play.
Despite missing several weeks with an ankle sprain and being off the bench recently, Thomas is averaging 20.6 points, second on the team behind Mikal Bridges (21.3 points) and 43rd in the NBA. It becomes.
The only two players younger than him in scoring are Orlando's Paolo Banchero (22.7 points) and Houston's Alperen Sengun (21.9 points). And Thomas has outperformed all but two players in his draft class: No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham (22.8 points) and lottery pick Franz Wagner (20.9 points).
Thomas' ability to make difficult baskets has regularly impressed his Nets teammates.
“That kid is good,” Dennis Smith Jr. said. “Training camp, I feel like some of the things he's doing are unbelievable. But it's routine. He comes out and starts rolling. And the good thing about CT is that people don't know. The thing is, he can be himself even when he's on. [or not].
“It's rare that he doesn't take a shot, but he's still going to come out and compete. And he's doing a really good job of making the next play. You start sending an email and he reads it. And even at the point where he hands it to you, the next guy doesn't read it right to tell you, do this, do this, in a productive way. So he made great progress.”
But how big?
Looking for more size, Bourne pulled Thomas out of the starting lineup, used two power forwards in Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson, and slid Bridges into what was essentially an oversized off-guard role.
It's almost backfired. The Nets, who enter Sunday afternoon's game against the Clippers with a 17-24 record, continue to struggle with their defense and Thomas' efficiency is sluggish.
Thomas averaged 15.7 points on 38.6 percent shooting in 25 minutes in his last 10 games as a reserve, but 22.8 points on 45.3 percent shooting in 30.3 minutes in his first 22 games. .
“Well, obviously the consistent part of my game is not going to be like it was at the beginning of the year because I started, so don't expect too many 20-, 30-point games coming off the bench. 'I can't do that for a few minutes like this,'” Thomas said. “So I have to figure out how I can adapt and try to start very efficiently and with a very high performance so that I can have an impact on my teammates. I feel like when you get off to a good start, there's good energy and it lifts everyone up. So we just have to find a way to contain it.
“Maybe that'll change soon. When I get back into the lineup, you'll see me become even more consistent in terms of scoring. But I've got to do my job.” Whatever he wants me to do. He wants me to come off the bench, which I have to do. If he wants me back in the starting lineup, I'm willing to do that. It's a little difficult, but I have no choice but to do my job.”
adjust right
Just like he did Friday night, Thomas is starting to think about how he can excel off the bench.
Thomas made 13 of 18 shots, including 4 of 7 from deep, helping the Nets win for the fourth time in their last 18 games. His quick start (20 points on 9-of-12 shooting, four assists, and no turnovers in the first half) allowed him to draw double teams and really punish them.
“Well, he saved us in the first half, certainly because of his ability to get us open,” Vaughn said. “They got to the point where they started trapping him and then we went from there. …His ability to make the right plays is just growing.”
While he may have resented questions about his lack of passing in the past, he's learned to use his newfound gravity to get his teammates involved.
If he can facilitate it at least a little bit, it will make a big difference.
Thomas has only averaged 1.5 assists per game during his career. However, he has totaled 13 assists over the past four games, which is a big reason why he's a plus-22 total over this span.
For a player who is rapidly developing into a third-level scorer, it makes him a weapon against drop coverage.
“That kid can score, I'll tell you, we're very happy to have a player like him, especially.” [because] He's only 22 years old, which makes it even crazier,” Lonnie Walker IV said. “The sky is the limit for him and the best is yet to come.”
Pay attention to Thomas' growth.
The Nets have already picked up his option for next season, so they will have to decide whether to give him a long-term extension.
