Brooklyn Nets: It’s time to give full reins to offensive phenom Cam Thomas

With Cam Thomas off to a hot start, it is clear he is the best scorer on this team. Now, they need to start him full-time. 

The Brooklyn Nets have an odd but compelling roster of talent, and one player whom NBA experts have slept on is the potential of young Cam Thomas. Tyler Herro and Damian Lillard were players that analysts thought would fit well in Brooklyn during the offseason, giving them the scoring punch they desperately needed.

What many forgot was the ability of Thomas, who originally caught the eye of many in his record-setting three-game scoring stretch right after former Net Kyrie Irving requested a trade in February.

Post-trade deadline, once the new Net acquisitions came over, Thomas struggled to find his spot and perhaps hadn’t yet earned the organization’s trust to contribute as a playoff rotation player.

This frustrated Nets fans, as most saw the kids’ potential in his rookie season, especially with his impressive 4th quarter performance against the New York Knicks in March 2021.

Cam Thomas needs to be the Brooklyn Nets closer

The organization is in a transition period, and while Mikal Bridges might’ve been the player NBA fans believed the Nets would be building around, Thomas might secretly be the guy.

Thomas could always score. That has never been the issue the Nets have had with him. Their concerns were his ability to play with others, contribute to winning, and be able to do more than just score, whether that’s creating for his teammates or playing defense.

This season, Thomas is playing well through the system very effectively and is taking little to no poor shots.

Thomas scored 36 points off the bench against the Cavs in the Nets season opener, a league record for a bench player in an opening night game. Thomas only played 25 minutes. Granted, Bridges was the only player who went over 30 minutes. He followed it up with 30 points in 33 minutes vs the Dallas Mavericks and 33 points in Charlotte.

The Nets have suffered early season injuries to Nic Claxton, Cam Johnson, and Spencer Dinwiddie, three crucial players in their starting lineup. Nets coach Jacque Vaughn will have to start Thomas for now. However, once their key starters return, Thomas still needs to start for the good of the team.

The team got off to a brutal offensive start vs the Cavs and regained control once Thomas entered the game.

The Nets have no first-round draft pick in 2024, so they need to play their young promising players. They’ve also struggled to close games post-trade. Bridges has shown resistance in taking last-minute shots for the Nets, even after a summer of development. Thomas has the scoring ability of an All-Star, and he’s showcasing that now. He has shown he is more than just an off-the-bench spark, as the team plays significantly better when he’s on the floor.

Thomas is ready. He has earned the starting spot long enough, and it’s time to hand him the keys. Perhaps the Nets have had their All-Star guard this whole summer? They just didn’t know it yet.