NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is having his best season so far in his young NBA career and for those wondering if his scoring was a fluke or that his big games happen in low-stakes games can think again. Thomas is not only making the shots on a more-consistent basis, but his play is leading to good things for the Nets.
“It’s the moments you dream for growing up,” Thomas said after scoring 45 points in Monday’s 129-125 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, a performance that is starting to earn Thomas some nationwide recognition and a piece of Nets history as well. According to YES Network, Thomas has now scored 201 points through seven games, placing him sixth all-time in the category for the Nets. Thomas’ play is putting him in the same breath as players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Stephon Marbury, and Vince Carter.
“You want to take the last shot in the NBA, everybody wants to,” Thomas said when asked how it felt for Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn to draw up the last play of the game for Thomas instead of someone else. Taking the last shot for a team at any level that comes with a sense of status knowing that a coach trusts you enough to have that player determine the fate of the game.
While most would agree that the best player on the Nets is Mikal Bridges, who scored 31 points of his own on better efficiency than Thomas, Vaughn decided to ride with the hotter hand in Thomas in a clutch moment against one of the best teams in the NBA. While the end result was a loss thanks to some great defense by Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s encouraging for Thomas to know that his coach and teammates trust him that much.
“I’m just glad that our players and obviously our coaches have that trust in me to take that shot and obviously down the stretch making the decisions,” Thomas explained.
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