LAS VEGAS — The Nets have advised Cam Thomas to degree up his passing.
He responded together with his greatest help recreation since highschool — a minimum of — with seven assists to guide the Nets to a 91-84 summer time league victory over Philadelphia on Sunday.
“Yeah, I simply wish to come on right here and present that [I] might do it,” Thomas mentioned. “It’s what they see, and no matter they see how good I'm at it. I feel I’m actually good at it. However there’s at all times one thing.”
Thomas’ career-high within the NBA is 4 assists, as was his greatest at LSU. When requested afterward if it was his all-time greatest, he shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t preserve observe of that.”
All-time greatest or no, it was auspicious. Thomas has proven he can rating, main the summer time league in scoring final yr to earn co-MVP honors. And on Sunday in opposition to Philadelphia, he had 26 factors, three rebounds and two steals.
“With him as nice of a scorer as he's, he’s utilizing that as his go-to — utilizing his aggression to create the performs for him,” David Duke Jr. mentioned. “He has nice instincts. Being an excellent scorer simply makes it that a lot simpler to be a passer, as a result of everybody’s going to load up on you. He understands that for certain, you possibly can see it recreation by recreation.”
The passing was probably the most auspicious signal. Nets head coach Steve Nash had advised NBATV he was trying to see Thomas enhance his playmaking, and if it wasn’t fairly an organizational mandate, it was taken to coronary heart.
“Not a mandate: Simply a part of each younger participant’s progress. Cam is an elite scorer. He’s actually purchased into his progress as a decision-maker, and he confirmed that,” Nets summer time league coach Adam Caporn mentioned. “Confirmed it final recreation, too, however mirrored within the recreation and he’s getting higher each recreation.
“And did what he does when it comes to main us within the fourth quarter and in stretches, nonetheless scoring. I see him being an elite pick-and-roll participant as time goes on. He can discover the roll, throw lob passes, see the ground and is so sturdy holding on the ball and in the important thing lane in tight areas. That’s an excellent recipe.”
And although Thomas’ jumper wasn’t falling — going simply 5-for-17 from the ground — he performed aggressively, stepping into the lane to both earn journeys to the foul line or create for others. The second-year guard went an ideal 15-for-15 from the free-throw line, and took over late when the Nets wanted it.
Thomas had an encouraging sequence when he scored a three-point play, then drove and located Kessler Edwards for a 3-pointer, and ended it by hitting a midrange jumper.
“Simply enhancing on what I can, actually simply enhance on what they wish to work on within the offseason,” Thomas mentioned. “I acquired MVP final yr in order that’s not a purpose or something. If I occur to get it this yr, it’d be a blessing. However I’m probably not anxious concerning the scoring, stats, MVP. I’m simply anxious about engaged on what they need me to work on so I get on the ground extra within the common season.”
That features his playmaking, spot-up capturing, protection and even management. The irony is Thomas — simply 20 — has 23-year-old rookies like Alondes Williams trying to him for recommendation.
“It’s loopy if you take a look at it. A couple of weeks in the past, I thought of that as a result of Day’Ron [Sharpe] was like, ‘We’re nonetheless the youngest on the staff’ and I used to be like, ‘Man, you're proper. We're nonetheless the youngest on the staff, although we’ve acquired extra NBA expertise.’ So only for them to have a look at me like that, I don’t take that as a right, as a result of they don’t must take heed to me. I’m youthful.
“I do [have] extra NBA expertise, so they need to hear and I’ll assist any manner I can. So I’m completely satisfied to assist.”
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