Inside The Nets

Bobby Marks sees Cam Thomas' ceiling as a high-level sixth man

Cam Thomas has emerged as a reliable scorer for the Nets.

Marin Gabric

© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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Cameron Thomas has proven himself as one of the best scorers on the Nets roster. Unfortunately, plenty of people around the NBA world do not see him as a player with superstar potential.

Since he got relegated back to the bench, some pundits believe it’s his optimal role in the NBA. Cam is a star-level scorer, but his contributions in other areas are still lacking. However, he is only 22 years old, meaning he has plenty of time to develop. However, people like Bobby Marks got locked into the belief that Thomas is a star sixth man.

“I think he’s gotten better and gets to the free throw line a lot more than he did a year ago, and I think that’s a sign of a guy who’s not just relying on jumpers,” Marks said in his conversation with HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto. “Thomas, for me, is a sixth man right now and could be a high-level sixth man. Jordan Clarkson was a sixth man for a long time and is really good.”

Marks might be underestimating Thomas

Cam is averaging 20.5 points per game in the 2023/24 season, and he’s evolving his game. He is not the finished product just yet because he’s only 22. Marks is getting ahead of himself by starting Thomas as only a sixth man because his track record as a starter is superb.

The former LSU Tiger already has multiple games with 40+ points, and he will likely have more as he develops. Coach Jacque Vaughn and the Nets coaching staff are empowering him to keep scoring, even if he’s on the bench now.

There is a path for him to start again when Ben Simmons returns from injury, as the Aussie solves plenty of defensive issues. In the meantime, Marks is right with Thomas being a sixth man, but that will not be the case in the long-term future.

Thomas will prove his doubters wrong

Like most great players, Thomas uses criticism and doubt to fuel his fire. He will likely see Marks’ quote about him and work on his game behind the scenes. Thomas will be one of the Nets’ building blocks for the future as he continues to grow.

Erasing the comparison to sixth men like Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams will be a step in the right direction. Nets fans are confident that Thomas will do well because they’ve seen him develop from a young upstart into a legitimate foundational piece for the team.

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Marin Gabric
MARIN GABRIC

Marin's love for writing developed in high school but was furthered in college when he took a number of creative writing courses. Doing sports writing felt like an extremely natural continuation, as it furthered his passions in both writing and basketball.  Marin loves the feeling of looking at stats after a game and analyzing what each team could've done better or what they excel in compared to the rest of the league. And the ability to do so for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets, is quite special in itself. 

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