Thomas Trying To Alter No-Pass Narrative In Nets Summer League Games

Why Gray Might Matter To Nets In Future

Cam Thomas can be forgiven for bouts of immaturity. After all, the Nets 2021 first-round pick won’t reach drinking age until October.

So Thomas’ reaction to what should have been a layup question from a TV reporter after Sunday’s 91-84 Nets victory over Philadelphia in a Summer League contest on how his Head Coach Steve Nash would like to see him act as a playmaker in addition to putting up prolific scoring numbers shouldn’t be dissected too stringently.

Thomas, who registered seven assists to go along with his game-high 26 points on Sunday, could have easily gone with the rote response about how as a young player he is looking for ways to improve on every aspect of his game. Instead, Thomas came across as a bit disrespectful, chuckling and sort of rolling his eyes before he said, “It is what it is.”

I’m going to advocate that Thomas’ demeanor was more about the repetitiveness of the query, as he’s been labeled, not all that incorrectly, as nothing more than a volume scorer at least since his lone college season at LSU, where he averaged just 1.4 assists per game while putting up 17.2 field goal attempts per game. Maybe the youthful indiscretion was merely a case of lashing out at what he perceived as a constant drum of criticism, not a direct shot at his coach.   

What matters most is how Thomas is performing on the court, for he really DOES need to expand his repertoire to include creating for others if he hopes to enjoy a lengthy NBA career, as I mentioned in my last post. (Pst: He also must address other weaknesses, such as his erratic three-point stroke and abhorrent defense).

Now, no one should expect Thomas to magically transform into a completely different player over one summer, so there were bound to be plenty of possessions where his tunnel vision of the hoop caused issues, such as his two travelling violations where he got stuck after picking up his dribble and couldn’t create space to shoot in the first half of Friday’s Summer League opener, a 94-90 loss to Milwaukee.       

Still, with the Nets now halfway through their pool play round in Las Vegas, there have been a few encouraging signs, at least from my perspective. Thomas probably could have tripled Friday’s lowly two-assist total had his teammates converted their open opportunities. He was rewarded more often for making the right basketball plays on Sunday.

Of course, what makes Thomas such an intriguing prospect is his explosive scoring ability, as evidenced by his 17-point fourth quarter on Friday that nearly pulled Brooklyn out of a 17-point hole. He had a rough shooting day (5-for-17) against the Sixers, but his knack for getting to the free throw line (15-for-15) boosted his point total. He’d be even more productive if he could get his three-point percentage into the 30s.

But it will be Thomas’ decision-making with the ball in his hands that will prove to be most determinative about his future. His shot isn’t consistent enough to be the next Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams just yet. If he can grow his game like all the NBA greats do, I’m confident his bouts with immaturity will also pass.

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Just a few words about a Nets Summer Leaguer I may have overlooked in my last post: forward RaiQuan Gray, the second-to-last pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, one that Brooklyn obtained from Phoenix along with Jared Dudley four years ago. Gray stood out to me in the Milwaukee loss, and credit to New York Post beat writer Brian Lewis for noticing whereas I felt it was best to wait before rendering a firm opinion.  

So, now that we’re two games in…I’m sorry, but the jury is still out.

Gray has a bit of Draymond Green in him, but it’s such an unfair comparison. Both are beefy guys (Gray is listed at 6-foot 8, 268 pounds, two inches taller and 38 pounds heavier than Green) who can handle the ball like a guard, but the Warriors glue guy is significantly more athletic and has about a half-foot more of a wingspan than Gray, making him more of a natural fit as a small-ball five. Neither shoots it well from deep but Green is much more of a threat attacking the basket.

Still, despite a rough outing on Sunday (three intercepted passes that all led to Sixers transition buckets, two missed open three-point looks, and a blown layup), I just have this feeling that there might be something there with Gray. Defensively, he was even more of a factor than in the Bucks game, where he was a bit too slow getting out to three-point shooters. While he wasn’t much of a rim protector, his straight-up wall in the paint hindered several Sixers opportunities. In addition, he is adept at getting his hands on balls that lead to steals.

I’m guessing that Gray will be stashed on G-League Long Island again this season where he can continue to develop. As Nets Summer League coach Adam Caporn told Lewis, if Gray can get in better shape and improve his three-point efficiency, this is a legitimate NBA prospect.