Cam Thomas first made his name on the evening of February 16, 2022 at Madison Square Garden. Trailing by 18 points in the fourth quarter, the Brooklyn Nets relied on the 20-year-old rookie. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, sparking a 15-0 run for Brooklyn.
Then Thomas sneaked to the free throw line after a throw-in and sank a 29-foot three-pointer, capping the biggest comeback in Nets history. The night ended with loud cheers.
“I knew it was one-on-one,” Thomas said after the game.
Now in his fourth year, it’s one-on-one time again. The Nets traded Mikal Bridges for a ton of draft picks and put things largely in Thomas’ hands. In an interview with SLAM published Monday, Thomas told Curtis Rowser III that he understands the responsibility … and embraces it.
“I just know that and accept it,” he said when asked how he’s approaching things. “I’m taking it head on. I’ve been in those roles (as the team’s leader) since I was in high school and college. So I’m not too worried about it. I’m just excited to get going and try it out in the league. I’m not too worried about it at all; I’m just ready.”
Known as one of the hardest workers at the HSS Training Center, Thomas said he took a little more time off this summer, but listed what he has been working on since returning to the gym.
“I just do everything — and I do it consistently,” he said. “I made the biggest jump in points from my second year to my third year. I was at 22.5 (points per game), so I’m trying to get into the 25-point-per-game range, improve my playmaking and just continue to improve my all-around game. And hopefully that translates to wins.”
Not only did Thomas have the biggest jump in scoring in the league (something he’s obviously extremely proud of), he was also in good company among the league’s scorers. Of the 32 players who averaged more points than he did last season, only two are younger and both – Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero – were No. 1 overall picks.
However, Thomas told Rowser that he no longer wanted to compare himself to other young top scorers in the NBA. He knew that he was already there.
“I’m not focused on proving myself anymore. Everyone knows I’m one of the best young scorers – the best young guards – in the league now,” he told Rowser. “So I’m really just trying to maximize my skills, see where I can take them and become the best player I can be, this year and in the years to come.”
However, that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten the disrespect he’s felt for most of his career, especially since even after his three consecutive games of 40 or more points in February 2023, Jacque Vaughn belittled his performance by pointing out that two of the three games were losses.
“I still carry that resentment with me,” he said of the doubters, referring specifically to the NBA executives who dropped him 27th in the 2021 draft. “And even with the Nets, I didn’t play consistently my first two years. I have that in the back of my mind so I can continue to grow and improve … to show why you should have let me play my first two years.”
He was initially criticised for not focusing on other aspects of his game: playmaking and defence. They improved last season but more is needed, especially in a team that is regrouping and where he knows he is the man.
“Personally, I just try to stay in the here and now. Whatever happens, happens. If I make it, I make it. If not, I don’t make it. I just want to keep improving,” he said.
He also gave an assessment of the Nets in the coming season: “No concrete predictions, also because he says he doesn’t know what the squad will look like.”
“As far as the team goes, the goal is to get better every day and try to win as many games as possible. Honestly, we don’t know what our team might look like next season. But whatever it looks like, we just want to be the best team we can be and try to put a good product on the court for Brooklyn.”
Conclusion: What can the Nets expect from the player and the Nets?
“Excitement. Entertainment. (I) hope that at the end of the day it all leads to wins,” he told Bowser. “We’ll see. In the league, it’s different. But I’m prepared and I’m not worried at all. I’ve done it in the league, but I definitely want to take it to the next level.”
