While the Nets’ Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are unsure, Cam Thomas is concentrating on getting better. The second-year guard has learned a lot from his All-Star teammates, who are now scoring more than any other player in the NBA Summer League.
Young guard Cam Thomas will likely be the one most impacted if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leave the Brooklyn Nets for a number of reasons.
Thomas told Andscape, “I never ever anticipated being in a position like Brooklyn, where I had Kyrie and KD take me under their wing.
Recently, Durant requested a trade when Irving expressed interest in going to the Los Angeles Lakers. Time will tell whether or not both of these NBA stars under contract will be traded by the start of the following season, as well as when and where.
While representing the Nets at the NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Thomas is ignoring all the speculation and prospective changes.
Thomas said of the trade rumors, “I try to keep away from them, but of course you peek here and there and see what’s going on with your team.” I try to avoid that since you never know what can occur. Anyone can be exchanged.
I make an effort to avoid them as much as possible and instead focus on the tasks assigned to me by the coach, even though these may change depending on the people we have. Sincerity be damned, all I want to do is keep working on what I’ve been working on.
The long hours Thomas spent with Durant and Irving during his rookie season were maybe the highlight and most advantageous aspect. When they saw that Thomas was a gym rat like them, they naturally included him in such moments, which meant a lot to Thomas.
Nets general manager Sean Marks described him as “competitive.” He regularly worked out with the vets, who also assisted him in his trade.
Thomas claimed that Durant treated him like a “big brother,” mentoring him off the court when they worked out together. Thomas claims that despite Durant’s Nets status being in limbo, they continue to communicate frequently.
While pushing Thomas to keep working hard even when he wasn’t playing or was in the G League during his rookie season, Thomas noted that Irving has taught him to “remain levelheaded no matter what you’re going through.”
Despite the fact that they had no need to assist me, Thomas stated, “I feel like I have to appreciate that for the rest of my career because I was only a rookie last year, 19 or 20 years old.” It’s wonderful that they have such faith in me, confidence in me, and regard me as one of the boys. I will certainly treasure that, then.
Thomas appeared to be benefiting from the advice he received from Durant and Irving.With an average of 28.7 points per game through three games in the Vegas Summer League, Thomas came into play on Wednesday as the league’s top scorer.
He is also taking on a more proactive role for the Nets’ summer league squad. During his 29.4 minutes of play, Thomas has also averaged 11.3 made free throws, 4.0 assists, 1.7 turnovers, and 1.0 steals.
Thomas originally caught the attention of the Nets during the 2020–21 season when he averaged 23 points and scored 25 or more points 16 times while a true freshman at Louisiana State University.
Thomas led the country in made free throws and was the top scorer among Division I freshmen (194). The combo guard was selected by the Nets with the 27th overall pick, despite being predicted to go in the top-20.
Marks remarked that “his confidence at LSU jumped out.” Whether he played for 10 minutes or longer, he had that with us. He is a star athlete who doesn’t shy away from a big opportunity.
Thomas played 17.6 minutes per game as a rookie, averaging 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds. He was also recorded as “Did Not Play,” “Inactive,” or “Did Not Dress” in 15 games. Thomas’ finest month was February, when he averaged 16.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
On February 4, against the Utah Jazz, he also recorded a career-high 30-point performance. Thomas, who is 6 feet 3 and weighs 210 pounds, previously played for the Long Island Nets of the G League.
“I think my highest highlight was probably when I had that two-week playing run when I averaged like 21 a game,” Thomas remarked. “Playing some games is just my lowest point. The hardest aspect was that I had never played before. However, you grow from it. To go on the floor, you take whatever they want you to work on improving.
During his rookie season, Thomas also learned a valuable lesson about basketball business. NBA All-Star James Harden asked the Nets for a trade. The blockbuster deal that captured the NBA world’s attention for weeks was finally completed when the Nets complied and traded Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round selections. Simmons had also asked the 76ers for a trade.
Thomas stated, “I’d say I learned about the business when we did the deal with James and Ben.” The world was wild. You hear stories about people who wish to leave. They both desired to leave their current situation. You may have heard they would make a significant trade like that. That’s probably when I first realized there was a business component to it.
Thomas responded, “Just keep developing, man,” when asked about his objectives for the upcoming season. On the floor or off the floor, it doesn’t matter; all I want to do is keep becoming better. I will play much more on the field than I did in my first season, and just generally improve as a person.
The following stage, according to Marks, is to ensure that there is comprehension on the defensive end and avoid becoming one-dimensional. His offensive game is simple. Now the question is how he can improve everyone without firing shots. He will concentrate on the defense part.
The senior NBA writer for Andscape is Marc J. Spears. He once had the ability to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in quite some time, and his knees continue to ache.
