Brooklyn Nets: A Closer Look at Cam Thomas’ Scoring to Start the Season

Cam Thomas is averaging about 25 points per game, but a closer look reveals some early season trends worth paying attention to.

Nov 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) makes a three point basket during the fourth quarter as Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) defends at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Scoring is Cam Thomas’ superpower. 

Since arriving to the Brooklyn Nets, first-year head coach Jordi Fernández has always given the same answer about what Thomas does. He’s a bucket, plain and simple. Oftentimes, you can’t teach the way the former LSU guard puts the ball in the hoop — it’s instinctual, with ultra-deep range, meaningless contests in his face, and some clutch baskets along the way. 

Thomas, objectively, is one of the best fourth-quarter players in the league. This season, he is averaging 10.1 points in the last period of the game, just recently having been displaced by LaMelo Ball at the top of that list; overall, he's averaging 24.9 points. However, a wider look at Thomas' start to his fourth season in the NBA reveals some early struggles worth tracking.

The 23-year-old hasn't shot above 50% from the field since the season opener. In his last six games, Thomas has gone ice cold from three, only making 20.5% of his 7.3 attempted three-pointers per game. He still scores more than 23 points a night, but his efficiency (40.2% from the field) has struggled. 

“If you're a scorer, but they do certain things to you, then maybe it's a day that you score less, but you assist more,” Fernández recently said about Thomas. “That's part of the growth that we all want to see."

Thomas’ first two seasons in the league are tough to compare since his playing time with the Nets was so limited then. Instead, last year is a solid point of reference, given that Thomas’ first eight games were also a key storyline for the entire team. 

Then, the Brooklyn bucket-getter averaged 26.9 points per game on 32.1% from three (on a lower 6.6 attempts) and 47.9% from the field. Thomas made more than half of his field goals on four occasions, as opposed to only once this year. 

This is nothing to fret about yet eight games into this season. Thomas’ shot diet and scoring balance is undergoing an adjustment under Fernández which, at times, has already shown dividends and, during other moments, has come less naturally. 

"We'll give [Thomas] the ball because we know [his] superpowers," Fernández said. "Now, can [he] do it efficiently? Can [he] make his teammates better? Can [he] guard? All those things, he's doing right now, and I'm gonna keep pushing him to even do it better."

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