Could Cam Thomas be Nets’ home version of Kyrie Irving?

The Brooklyn Nets were close to losing their sixth-straight game at Barclays Center, but thanks to rookie Cam Thomas, they won in overtime, 121-119. There’s no logical reason for why Brooklyn’s performed so poorly at home, but in a game where the team was without Kyrie Irving, it was Thomas who stepped up in the final seconds.

Thomas was drafted at No. 27 in the 2021 draft by the Nets, and his addition has proven to be invaluable. After dropping 46 points in the G League in November, Steve Nash could no longer afford for Thomas to spend time in Long Island.

What makes Thomas’ go-ahead floater so special is that it was Kevin Durant who passed the ball to him. He and Durant have been vocal about their relationship, and in a moment where KD was being double-teamed, he passed the torch to Thomas.

Irving’s only played in one game for Brooklyn, but quickly reminded the team what they had been missing. The Nets struggle to score, and since Irving is unvaccinated and unable to play in home games, the team desperately needs players like Thomas to come up big in Brooklyn.

And that’s exactly what the 20-year-old did against the Spurs.

A floater by Cam Thomas in overtime seals the deal for the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets are 38 games into the regular season, and Thomas’ development has been a sight to see. His growth in a short amount of time has been tremendous.

His floater is one of the most lethal parts of his game, which is why he opted to go straight to the basket instead of shooting a 3-pointer. And in the process of doing so, he made history.

Brooklyn has a tough back-to-back, and following Sunday’s game, had to get on a plane to travel to Portland for a matchup against the Trail Blazers. The Nets were eager to end the game, and Thomas rose to the challenge.

Thomas finished with 11 points (4-of-11) and 6 rebounds in 30 minutes. He’s played in 27 games for Brooklyn so far this year and is averaging 6.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Although he’s still new to the league, he’s shown that he has a bright future.

Durant knows it too. After the game, when asked about Thomas, he said: “He just showcased his brilliance. Making a tough runner, I mean that’s his shot, so I’m glad he knocked that down.”

Thomas still has a long way to go before can reach Irving’s level of impact on the game, but he’s on the right path. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, but Sean Marks knew what he was doing with this year’s rookie class.

For Thomas, the best is yet to come.

What would a Nets-Cavaliers Joe Harris trade look like?

According to Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers are interested in trading for Brooklyn Nets' shooter Joe Harris.