Brooklyn Nets HC Jordi Fernández Praises Cam Thomas’ Preseason Opener

The Spanish head coach lauded Thomas’ first performance of the year.

Oct 8, 2024; Oceanside, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14), center Ivica Zubac (40) and forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) in the first half of a preseason game at Frontwave Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The first, very early signs of Cam Thomas under Jordi Fernández looked promising, with the new Brooklyn Nets head coach calling his scoring in the team’s preseason opener “pretty elite.”

“He didn’t try to do too much,” Fernández said in comments picked up by ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater. “Obviously, we have to give him the ball and he has to score for us, but it was a very good first game being very efficient with the shots he had.”

Fernández pointed to Thomas scoring 12 points in about 17 minutes. The Nets’ guard shot 3-for-5 from the field, but this is a tiny sample that speaks more to Fernández’s coaching ideals and what he looks for in Thomas than anything else for now. 

In his three NBA seasons, Thomas has averaged 44% from the field and 34.4% from three. Last season, he took a career-high — by far — 18 field goals per game, a scoring responsibility which will likely continue into this season where the former LSU prospect is again expected to be the Nets’ main scoring threat. 

However, Fernández also pointed to Thomas’ defense in the Nets’ Tuesday night preseason loss. Alongside his shot selection at times, that is the aspect of the 22-year-old’s game that is most often critiqued.

“Derrick Jones [Jr.] brought [up] the ball twice and [Thomas] turned him twice, and got the stop,” the Nets head coach said. “I'm going to keep preaching those things to Cam. He did a great job on both ends.”

The Nets’ next preseason game is on Monday, Oct. 14 against the Washington Wizards (1-2) in preseason) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.