Going into the 2023-24 season, it was a topic of debate on whether or not Nets guard Cam Thomas would be in the rotation given the team’s lack of interest in playing him the season prior, despite becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 3 straight 40-point games since Allen Iverson. These fears were squashed on opening night versus the Cleveland Cavaliers when Thomas came off the bench, scoring 36 points on 13-21 FG. Despite having an inconsistent role and being moved back to the bench in December, Thomas still finished the season as the Nets' best player and their leading scorer. Averaging 22.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 55.4% TS, Thomas showed incredible potential as a player, often carrying the Nets' offense and making improvements as a playmaker under interim coach Kevin Ollie.
Despite all these positives to Cam Thomas’ game, there are serious issues with his current abilities that make it very difficult to construct a roster around him going into next season. Cam Thomas is 6'3"; normally this wouldn’t be an issue as there are plenty of players in the league that are considered quality starters that are smaller than Thomas. The problem is that he is a 6'3" shooting guard, he’s undersized for the position he plays. In order to optimize team success, the Nets need a primary ball handler that can run pick & rolls as well as drive & collapse the defense. The issue is that most players that have these skills are also small guards, and there are serious defensive issues trying to have two 6'3" and under guards in the backcourt. Thomas' lack of playmaking is a serious issue for someone of his size, 2.9 assists per game is not enough to justify him as the primary ball handler. Now, one can argue that the Nets should play him at point guard regardless in order to get him developmental reps and improve his skills as a passer. Last season, when Kevin Ollie would run Thomas as the primary ball handler in certain lineups, Thomas’ assists jumped to 3.6 assists per game post All-Star break. Thomas is still so young, turning 23 in October, so there is reason to believe he can develop this skill as a player due to his scoring ability.
The issue is, unless Thomas takes a massive leap as a passer, it’s going to be difficult building a roster around him unless the Nets were to get a tall defensive-minded playmaker. Ironically, a player like Ben Simmons would be a perfect fit next to Cam Thomas given their complementary skill sets. Speaking of defense, although Thomas was far from the reason why the Nets were a bottom 10 defense, he was not helping the matter either. As Thomas is one of the worst isolation defenders in the NBA, the Nets would have to construct a roster surrounding him with tall defensive-minded 3&D players to optimize his skills.
Some low-risk high-reward targets to help improve the roster would be Dyson Daniels of the Pelicans or Anthony Black of the Magic, both of whom are 6’7"+ guards that can handle the ball, help with rebounding, and be strong POA defenders. Both of whom are former lottery picks that haven't been able to get starting minutes on their respecive teams due to roster construction. However, unless a player of this archetype ends up on the Nets, it’s up to Cam Thomas to take the leap and make serious strides as a playmaker. If Cam Thomas can average 5 assists per game or more in addition to his remarkable scoring, then he could turn into a legit All-Star. If he can’t, then his ceiling as a basketball player would be as a 6th man on a contender.
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