Cam Thomas knew his turnovers cost the Brooklyn Nets down the stretch of Friday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The fourth-year guard responded on Sunday with one of his best performances of the season.
Thomas posted 34 points with six assists and one turnover on 11-of-22 shooting during a 108-103 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Following the victory, the Nets’ second in their last three games, head coach Jordi Fernandez lauded his leading scorer’s balanced approach.
“To me, what stood out the most is the six assists to one turnover. That’s the Cam Thomas that we want,” Fernandez said. “Obviously we know he can score a lot of points, and today he did. He did everything. He pressured the ball defensively, he made a lot of plays for his teammates, and then he scored efficiently. And moving forward, that’s the Cam Thomas we want. I’m very proud of him. I don’t care so much about the 34, but the six and one is unbelievable.”
Thomas turned the ball over a season-high seven times during the Nets’ loss at Philadelphia. Following the defeat, he said several of the turnovers were unforced and mental errors on his part.
Cam Thomas leads Nets to upset win with efficient offensive performance
The 23-year-old shouldered a heavier on-ball burden in Sacramento with starting point guard Dennis Schroder sidelined. However, he knew the Nets needed more than what he gave in Philadelphia to compete during a difficult three-game West Coast swing.
“Just knowing that I had to be better for the team,” he said after Sunday’s win. “I can’t be giving away possessions. Tonight, I just wanted to take care of the ball the best way I could and just come out aggressive and show that it’s a different day. I just wanted to set the tone and be aggressive on the road to start this West Coast trip.”
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Thomas has shown promise early in his first season as the Nets’ No. 1 offensive option. The LSU product has averaged 24.8 points per game, the 16th-most in the NBA, on 46/39/86 shooting splits. He’s posted a career-high 59.8 true shooting percentage, 2.5 points above league average despite attempting 17.9 shots per game.
While Thomas still has a ways to go as a passer, he’s averaging a career-high 3.5 assists per game this season. Sunday’s performance was another step in the right direction.
Thomas will be a restricted free agent this summer after failing to reach a rookie scale extension with the Nets this offseason. His ability to continue developing as a playmaker while maintaining his scoring efficiency will be the main storylines to monitor throughout his contract season.
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