Nets coach Jordi Fernandez wants Cam Thomas to be a more efficient scorer
Nets guard Cam Thomas speaks to the media during Nets Training Camp at HSS Training Center on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez laid out a challenge to Cam Thomas this offseason. How can he help Thomas be a more efficient scorer?
There’s no doubt that Thomas is the Nets’ best scoring option. His 22.5 points per game last season led the team and, after the All-Star break, he averaged 25.2 points. With Mikal Bridges gone, more eyes will be on Thomas generating offense.
But after a breakout season, the fourth-year guard is at a crossroads. Is he simply a great volume scorer, or can he be a combo guard who can score and facilitate? For Fernandez, the latter is the best version.
“His superpower is to score the ball, and what we need to do is to help him do that, but in an efficient way,” Fernandez said. "Same as his playmaking, because he attracts so much attention, teams are going to try to blitz him, load to him, how he can kick [the ball out] and create more assists, potential assists.”
Thomas was receptive to the idea, somewhat. He understood efficiency means taking less dribbles and shooting earlier in the shot clock. But he was also confident in how his game has taken him this far. So, minor tweaks aside, don’t expect a totally different Thomas on offense.
“I'm not really gonna change what I do,” he said. "Obviously I’ll just make it more efficient within the offense, but I'm not going to change what I do in a way like that.”
On Tuesday after the Nets’ first practice both elaborated on those early conversations. Fernandez showed Thomas not just stats on better percentage shots but film on what those shots can look like.
Thomas seemed more open to it. It’s harder doing it in practice than in games, but he’s learning how to adjust which shots he takes.
“Open runs is different from playing against the Atlanta Hawks,” Thomas said of the Nets’ first opponent on Oct. 23. “They're going to do whole different schemes and stuff. So whenever that day comes, I'm gonna try to pick my spots as best I can and just try to be as efficient as possible for the team on our first game.”
In a rebuilding season, the Nets will rely more on Thomas offensively. But because Thomas is on an expiring contract, he’s facing a challenge to show how he fits with the Nets going forward.
The Nets could extend Thomas by Oct. 21 but it’s likely they’ll wait until after the season. It’s a fair evaluation since he’s had one full season showing his scoring potential.
His future could rely on doing more than just getting buckets. Thomas averaged 3.6 assists last season after the All-Star break, compared with 2.6 before.
The playmaking is there but Thomas knows he has to convince a new staff that’s willing to help him be more well-rounded.
“Everybody’s seen everything on the film from last year,” Thomas said. “It’s a lot of promise there, but I want to prove it to [Jordi] in practice and preseason and obviously the games. ”
He also called it the opportunity he’s waited for his entire career. After his playing time fluctuated during his first two seasons, Thomas is now firmly set in the Nets’ rotation.
Now it’s just figuring out how to grow in an expanded role. For Fernandez, it’s about helping Thomas expand his skill set without sacrificing the scoring that makes him special.
“What I want is for Cam to be a better player so we can be a better team,” Fernandez said. “That's pretty simple. It's not rocket science. You either get better or you get worse. If he gets worse, then there's a discussion of if he's part of the future. If he gets better, he's a very good player with great superpowers.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
