Strengths and Weaknesses of Brooklyn Nets Guard Cam Thomas' Game

The Brooklyn Nets have a rising star in Cam Thomas, with a lot of things to like, but his game also has some holes.

Apr 12, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) reacts after fouling New / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas took an impressive leap this past season. The LSU guard averaged 22.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 44.2% shooting. It was a season in which his minutes nearly doubled from 2023, resulting in his scoring increasing by 11.9 points per game.

At 22, Thomas has all the promise in the world and for a Nets team that doesn't have a whole lot of options as of right now, it looks like he's their guy for the future. While his game has a lot of bright spots, there are a few things Thomas will need to improve so his production will start resulting in wins for Brooklyn.

Strength: Isolation scoring

Perhaps the most obvious strength, Thomas loves to score off of the dribble, averaging 3.2 isolations per game and 3.0 off of such. This puts him ahead of great scorers like Tyrese Maxey, Jimmy Butler, and Brandon Ingram.

Weakness: Passing

Thomas isn't a point guard, so there isn't an expectation for him to average a ton of assists. However, there are multiple instances of Thomas passing up opportunities to look for the open man. 2.9 assists for a player that gets the ball at the top of the key often isn't exactly pleasing.

Take the season opener against the Cavaliers, for example. Thomas got a dribble handoff on the wing on the last possession of the game and hoisted a fadeaway out of a double-team.

Of course it will come with more experience, but Thomas's passing IQ will have to improve to free up opportunities for teammates and win more games.

Strength: Clutch gene

This wasn't necessarily displayed a whole lot this past season, but Thomas has hit big-time game-winners. He's averaged 5.6 points per game in the fourth quarter this past season, but it was during the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era that Thomas shined in the clutch.

Exhibit A: Thomas's game-winner at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.

Exhibit B, a game-winning floater with Durant and James Harden on the floor.

Exhibit C, a game-tying three and sudden-death game-winner in the Summer League.

All of these are evidence the Thomas has the clutch gene, and at such a young age too. When the Nets need him down the stretch, he's shown up, and will continue to.

Weakness: Defense

At 6'3", Thomas isn't blessed with the height and length to be a skilled defender. His defensive rating sat at 119.3 in 2024, which was under the league average of 116.1.

He's a fast runner, but there's a reason he came off of the bench in 14 of his 66 games for Spencer Dinwiddie. Thomas isn't a great wing defender, and his height doesn't match him up well with the taller guards of the league. It's not athleticism, it's more IQ and his youth that makes him a below-average defender.

Thomas has plenty of time to grow and eventually, he can be the leader of this team. I'm not saying his is Kobe Bryant, but he gives flashes of a younger version of him.

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