Fourth-year Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has some in the know claiming he can reach new heights in the 2024-2025 season. Speaking on Zach Lowe’s The Lowe Post Podcast, ESPN Insider Bobby Marks predicted the LSU product will lead the NBA in scoring this upcoming season.
Lowe agreed, stating that Thomas could very well lead the NBA in shot attempts at the very least. On the surface, it would appear positive that two veteran reporters like Marks and Lowe would be so high on the budding star, but would this be the best-case scenario for the Brooklyn Nets?
Why Cam Thomas could lead the NBA in scoring
As we’ve discussed previously, the Nets will struggle to find offensive firepower outside of Thomas this season. This was essentially the crux of Marks’ argument; Thomas will lead the league in scoring because no one else on the team can reliably put the ball in the basket.
Although the Nets are tanking, players are always true competitors who want to win every night out. A competitor like Thomas, who has spoken out about wanting to become more of a team leader this year while also showing frustration last year when thrust into a more limited role, will always do what he can to try and will his team to victory. But at what cost?
Why Cam Thomas leading the NBA in scoring could be detrimental to the Nets
A restricted free agent at the end of the season, Thomas faces a make-or-break year this season. Thomas has an elite skill in this league, and that is scoring the basketball. The 22-year-old’s 22.5 points per game ranked 26th in the league last season, and only two players who were younger than him scored more. Those two players were Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero, both former No.1 overall picks.
However, to truly ascend to star status, Thomas must develop more than one plus skill. Right now he is a very poor defender and hasn’t shown an ability to consistently create for others as evidenced by his 2.9 assists per game last season.
Thomas was already 10th in usage rate last season which means increasing his scoring within the flow of an NBA offense doesn’t seem likely unless he increases his efficiency. The flip side of that is if he were to try to play hero ball and play outside the structure of the offense, which may lead to more points but will also put a damper on his efficiency, he would end up as a net-negative for the team.
Furthermore, the development of the rest of the Nets’ young core would be hindered if Thomas becomes a shot-chucker. Players like Noah Clowney, Jalen Wilson, and Nic Claxton need to be set up by the primary ball handlers. This will allow them to expand their overall offensive games which over time will allow them to reach their respective ceilings. However, if Thomas is simply playing hero ball out there, those players will not get the growth opportunities they need to realize their full potential.
The range of outcomes for Cam Thomas
One pertinent question to ask yourself when watching a player on a young, rebuilding team is what would his role be on a contender? Talent-deficient teams often have players with any kind of promise slotted up a few notches in terms of role versus those teams who are contending, and since the ultimate goal is to eventually contend with this young core, it’s important to envision what each player can do.
For example, around the league, you’ll see players who put up big numbers on bad teams, and then once their situation changes, they experience significant regression. Bradley Beal is an example of this, going from Washington where he was consistently one of the top scorers in the league, to at times struggling in Phoenix. Other times, you’ll see a player who looked like a star on a bad team become simply a role player on a good one.
The Nets hope that Thomas can be a building block for the next contending squad. To do so, he has to improve his playmaking and rise to the level of at least passable on defense. The Nets don’t need him to be a pass-first point guard or an elite defender, just someone who can be a secondary playmaker when that is the most efficient decision, while not getting embarrassed on the defensive end.
If he can do that, he can rise to a Donovan Mitchell-type level of a star, and if not, he may be relegated to being a Jordan Clarkson-like microwave scorer off the bench whose value hinges on whether or not his shot is falling.
As counterintuitive as it may sound, Thomas leading the league in scoring this season might be the worst possible outcome for the Nets.
