Cam Thomas doesn’t want to take his foot off the accelerator

As we saw during last season just after the departures of Kyrie Irving And Kevin Durantthe spark Cam Thomas is back in Brooklyn for these first fifteen days of the regular season. Currently the 9th best scorer in the league, the Nets guard was also the second most productive player in points scored on drives (14.8), just behind De’Aaron Fox. Figures which, combined with better defensive performances, mean that he now stays on the field.

In a long interview given to HoopsHypethe New York gem confided her wish to see one of the great stories of this start of the year continue for as long as possible.

“I want to continue to play and stay in the rotation and continue to grow. I want to be the best version of myself. Everything else will take care of itself. I’m not doing anything I’ve never had to do. I stay in the present moment. I want to continue playing and be an important part of the team because I feel like I can really help the team this year,” he declared in particular.

Nothing better than play time

If he manages to maintain the same pace as after seven official competition matches, while he averages 28.7 points, he could then become one of the revelations of the 2023/24 financial year. Even if it is still very early, the person concerned believes in his chances of making an impression this season.

” Yes it’s possible. Anytime you’re averaging 26 points per game to start the season, that’s a pretty good thing. Last year I probably averaged 2-5 points at this time. Then, at the end of last season, I reached 10 points on average, and now I’m at 26 (and therefore even 28.7 after his 45 points against the Bucks). Obviously it’s kind of an upset, but I just want to keep building. It is still early. As long as I can stay consistent, that’s the main thing, whether it’s 15, 20 or 30 points. I want to play a complete match, be consistent and help my team as best I can.”.

If he confirmed having learned alongside Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant during his first two years in the NBA, nothing trains better than experience and adrenaline on the court.

“It’s mainly about playing against other teams to be able to evaluate yourself, because training sessions are different from matches”he recalled. “When I played my rookie year and started scoring points during games, I realized I could do it. Then there was a whole month where I played a lot of minutes, in January or February, I think. That’s when I realized I could do this at a high level. Then, in my second year, the 30 and 40 point games really solidified it. Now I want to keep building, to show that it’s not going to stop and to stay as consistent as possible.”

Win to gain recognition

The departures of the former leaders of the Nets have shaken up the agenda of Brooklyn, going from title candidate to a reconstruction team. A downgrade seen as a big source of motivation for Cam Thomas and his teammates. In any case, the person concerned believes in the potential of his group and its ability to beat the odds.

“The only thing that has changed is the expectations from the outside, like the media”he said. “When you have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, most of the media wants you to be in contention for a title and play a lot of games on TV. With this team, they don’t really expect us to do much and don’t see us in contention for a title or even a playoff appearance. With KD and Kyrie, we were more scrutinized, while this team evolves more off the radar. We’re going to try to prove people wrong, show them that we’re a good team and that we can compete with anyone.”

In any case, he finds himself fully in this context, he who has also had to endure criticism since his beginnings.

“It’s part of the game. I feel like I do a lot more things, but obviously the baskets trump everything else because people only see the baskets and don’t try to watch the other aspects of my game”, he continued. “If you’re a competitor, you want to prove people wrong. In the end, we can’t really worry about it. We just have to put our heads down, work to improve as a team and show it on the field. You have to show it and do it. If we succeed, everything will be better in terms of recognition. Winning matches allows you to be recognized, so that’s what you have to do.”

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.