The Brooklyn Nets' recent form has been a surprise, winning just two of their last 10 games, leading to a sharp drop in the rankings. It was noteworthy that Cam Thomas was removed from the starting line-up during this time. Could this former Louisiana State University guard be the crux of the Nets' current predicament?
NBA fans have always favored players who are both skilled and scorer, and Cam Thomas undoubtedly falls into that category. But there's no denying that Thomas doesn't have much to show in other ways other than his scoring ability and skill as a shooting guard.
Who is Thomas?
Cam Thomas was born on October 13, 2001 in Yokosuka, Japan, is 1.93 meters tall and weighs 95 kilograms, and in the 2021 NBA draft, Cam Thomas was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th pick in the first round, thus entering the NBA.
Thomas played for Louisiana State University in college, averaging 23 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, and was named to the NCAA Southeast Division (SEC) All-Freshman Team, All-America Team, and Southeastern Conference Tournament All-Freshman Team. His technical moves are gorgeous, and he is able to break through, shoot, and dribble, which is a sight to behold. He also has good physical fitness, with a height of 1.93 meters, an arm span of 2.03 meters, and an amazing bounce.
In the NBA regular season on February 7, 2023, Thomas scored 43 points, completing the achievement of scoring at least 40 points in three consecutive games, surpassing legendary superstar Allen Iverson to become the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in three consecutive games.
What's wrong with Thomas?
Although Thomas has excellent scoring ability, he also has a lot of problems that seriously affect the overall performance of the Nets. His main problems are as follows:
Poor shot selection and inconsistent form
Thomas is a player who loves to shoot, he takes many shots every game, but his shot selection is poor, often forcing shots when there are no open spots, or rushing shots without organizing the offense, resulting in inefficient shots and disrupting the team's rhythm.
It's true that Thomas's scoring performance has improved significantly this season, but that doesn't mean everything is as good as it could be. With an extra 13 minutes of playing time each night, Thomas tried a lot of shots, but it was detrimental to the Nets.
In November, Thomas played an average of 31 minutes per night, averaged 22 shots, and averaged 24 points per game. However, he shot just 42.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, which were both submissive and below the league average, and his shooting stats weren't in the top 100 this season.
Thomas's shooting was not only inefficient, but also very inconsistent, and his performance often had ups and downs, sometimes with highlights, and sometimes with outright inaccuracy.
Thomas' inconsistent form has hurt the Nets enormously. In a 27-point loss to the Pelicans on Jan. 3, Thomas took 11 shots, but missed all of them — without scoring a single point in 20 minutes of playing time. The next day against the Rockets, Thomas shot 0 of 7 again, which was extremely sluggish.
In the Nets' four preseason games, Thomas showed his inconsistency, shooting 21 percent, 43 percent, 22 percent and 64 percent from the field for 14, 18, 7 and 26 points, respectively. It was impossible to predict what level he would play in the next game, and it made it impossible for the coach to schedule his playing time and tactical role.
Poor defensiveness
Thomas's performance on the defensive end was even more disappointing, his defensive ability was very poor, and he was often easily passed or shot by opponents. His defensive efficiency of 121.5 is the worst of all the 400 players who have played in the NBA.
Thomas has no motivation or concentration on the defensive end, and often makes low-level mistakes such as misposition, leaks, and fouls. He didn't help the Nets on the defensive end, instead becoming a hole in the team's defense.
There was no improvement after coming off the bench
Thomas was not satisfied with his performance in the starting line-up, and the coach did not have the patience to continue using him, so he was transferred to the bench.
Thomas said he was willing to make sacrifices for the team, "At the end of the day, I still want to start. But for the sake of the team, I have to step up from the bench and play with energy, whether it's as a sixth man or a seventh man. "So, I can't be depressed, I have to keep a positive mindset and keep my morale high." ”
However, the reality is cruel and his performance after coming off the bench has not improved, but worsened. In the few games he came off the bench, he shot less from the field, defended poorly, and had multiple turnovers and fouls. He didn't show his value as a sixth or seventh man, and he didn't bring energy and fighting spirit to the team, but he made things more difficult for the team.
Is Thomas a cancer for the Nets?
To sum up, Thomas is a player with a lot of problems, and his performance on the pitch seems to be quite inconsistent. He's just a pure shooter with little else to do.
In particular, Thomas didn't provide any defensive help when the Nets' defense was already stretched thin. This situation makes Thomas gradually become a problem for the Nets that cannot be ignored.
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