Inside The Nets

Jacque Vaughn gives an insightful answer about his hesitance in playing Cam Thomas as a point guard

Cam Thomas has shown promising flashes as a playmaker.

Peter Sunjic

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Over the past few games, Cameron Thomas has emerged as a secondary offensive creator for the Nets. For most of his career, Cam has always been a bucket-getter or someone who finishes plays. He has done his best to evolve his game by expanding his playmaking skills.

Unfortunately, Coach Jacque Vaughn has opted to use Dennis Smith Jr. more than Cam because of the former’s defensive ability. However, JV does see the progress that Thomas is making with his playmaking.

“The last time we played these guys, and we tried Cam Thomas at the 1. I didn’t like the returns on it, but I do like having another ball-handler out there with Cam. They were blitzing him all night, and sometimes we got good looks out of it, using his ability to pass out of it,” Coach JV said after the loss to the Knicks. 

"I’ve tried Cam Thomas at the 1; I would love for him to be able to do that, it will give him more minutes on the floor.“

Cam has potential as a point guard

While Cam is a phenomenal scorer, there are legitimate concerns about his size because he is only 6’3” and 210 pounds. Playing him as a shooting guard might be bad for him because he will suffer on the defensive end. The former LSU Tiger will keep playing against mega-sized wings like Paul George, which means he has to give up plenty of inches in the height battle.

That has led Cam to work on his point guard play because he can become a go-to scorer and playmaker in the starting lineup.

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Coach JV wants to play Cam

Some Nets fans believe Cam is losing out minutes because Coach Vaughn does not like him. That is not the case when Vaughn answers questions because he’s adamant that Thomas is a big part of the team.

JV expressed his appreciation for the progress shown by his young guard, highlighting the experimentation with the point guard role, which faced initial challenges but remains open for revisiting as Cam continues to hone his skills through dedicated training.

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Peter Sunjic
PETER SUNJIC

Peter's journey with basketball commenced in the first grade, and it has since evolved into an integral part of his life. Standing on the brink of a potential professional playing career, Peter ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Political Science and Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. Despite this academic pursuit, his deep-rooted love for the game of basketball endured, undiminished. Now, as a writer and editor, Peter finds an avenue to channel his unwavering passion for basketball-related news and analysis. Whether it's deciphering the latest happenings or delving into the lore of old-school basketball, he covers every corner of the NBA world.

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