3 young Nets players who should earn more minutes
1. Cam Thomas
Cam Thomas was the Nets’ first pick in last year’s draft at No. 27, and he’s been the best. He notified Brooklyn of his abilities after he dropped 46 points (17-of-32 shooting) for Long Island last weekend. That led to him scoring a career-high 11 points (4-of-7) for the Nets in a 117-112 win over the Cavaliers two days later.
The 20-year-old out of LSU has shown that his game can translate from the collegiate level to the professional level — he averaged 23 points and shot 40.6% from the field with the Tigers. His scoring ability is special, and it hasn’t taken long for him to establish his worth with the league’s preseason title favorites. Thomas’ averaging only 2.1 points in 11 games for Brooklyn, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that number will shoot up.
https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1462961653171953671
The Nets have missed Joe Harris, who’s been out with an ankle injury, but have been lucky to have a young player like Thomas to call upon for an infusion of energy and offense. Even after Harris returns to the lineup, the rookie should see the court semi-frequently. Durant said that Thomas provided “the boost” that Brooklyn needed in the win over Cleveland, which is something that Nash should take into consideration moving forward.
If Irving doesn’t play this season for the Nets and the team doesn’t go after a guard before the Feb. 10 trade deadline, that’ll mean that Brooklyn will be turning to Thomas more. He’s ready for the challenge, though. Expect to see him on the court more for Brooklyn as the regular season carries on. The Nets haven’t been at their best offensively, and Thomas can help to change that.
