Thomas accepting bench role in Brooklyn

Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas has said all the right things, including nothing at times, since being relegated to a reserve role here with the Nets. AP Photo by Bailey Hillesheim

Nets coach Jordi Fernández has watched his team grow exponentially since December.

Mostly because of its steady uptick defensively.

While the return of Cam Thomas hasn’t bolstered Brooklyn’s ability to keep teams from running up the score, the pending unrestricted free agent has demonstrated that he can still light it up offensively despite some of his defensive deficiencies.

The Nets’ leading scorer in each of the previous two campaigns, when deemed healthy enough to go, Thomas missed nearly seven weeks earlier this year due to a nagging left hamstring strain that cost him all but 25 games last season.

Since returning, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard is averaging just over 21 points per contest off the bench, including 17 second-half points in Sunday’s rousing victory over the Denver Nuggets at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Thomas didn’t take a single shot through the first half as Michael Porter Jr. spearheaded Brooklyn (11-22) to a 59-52 lead at the break.

Porter poured in 16 of his 27 prior to intermission, but the Nets needed an offensive lift with the Nuggets trying to shut their former teammate down through the next two quarters.

Enter Thomas, who finished 5-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with four rebounds and an assist in 22 minutes during his fourth game back from injury.

With the Nets guarding a 10-point lead with 11 minutes left in regulation, Thomas made sure Denver wouldn’t overtake Brooklyn and hand it a fourth consecutive defeat.

He set up Danny Wolf for a layup, hit three free throws, sank a 12-foot runner and completed a 12-0 burst for the Nets with another layup to put the Nuggets down by 22 with 8:25 remaining.

“He did the right thing for the team in the first half, passing the ball on the blitzes,” Fernández said of Thomas, who inked a one-year deal with a no-trade clause as a restricted free agent last summer after failing to come to terms on a long-term pact. 

“He was aggressive and scored in the second (half). So, it’s a perfect balance.”

Thomas, who averaged just over 30 minutes per game the previous two seasons, is only logging about 20 a night since his comeback as a key reserve in Brooklyn’s rotation.

That might not sit right for a player that is looking to strike it rich in free agency next summer.

But Thomas’ unselfishness thus far in accepting his role may make him attractive to teams looking to acquire his services for the stretch run come the February trade deadline.

If, of course, Thomas is amenable to waiving his right to stay with the Nets throughout this season.

The leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference before Brooklyn selected him 27th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Thomas can get out of bed in the morning and score in double digits with limited minutes.

Just ask his coach.

“Good scoring punch with the minutes that he’s playing,”  Fernández  ceded after Thomas put up 21 points off the bench in a blowout loss to Houston here last Thursday.

“Obviously, his superpower is his scoring, but once again, I need better defense, I need better play-making,”

Nets coach Jordi Fernández is happy to have Cam Thomas provide instant offense off the bench, but is looking for a better defensive effort from the high-scoring guard. AP Photo by Yuki Iwamura

Thus far, Thomas has taken the “no comment” approach when asked if he was eager to jump back into the starting lineup, a role he embraced ever since the Nets decided to deal Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out of Brooklyn in February 2023.

Nets general manager Sean Marks readily admitted that he was impressed by Thomas’ approach after the organization failed to deliver a more attractive, long-term offer to a player that has filled it up for Brooklyn with nine 40-plus point games in his career.

“What defined it for me was he said, ‘I’m all in. I’m all-in on Brooklyn, I want to be here.’” Marks said ahead of the team’s season opener.

“I think that showed maturity on his behalf… He has an elite skill and that’s a skill that any coach and any team can capitalize on.“

Fernández is doing just that. But he clearly prefers Porter as his primary offensive option, and as the on-the-floor leader of the youngest team in the NBA, one that came back from this year’s draft with a historic haul of five first-round picks.

Thomas expected to take the alpha role on a team that is slowly weaning Egor Dёmin, Drake Powell, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and Wolf in this ongoing rebuild.

“It’s been good. It’s obviously the rookies so it’s definitely some growing pains,” he said at the team’s media day. “But at the end of the day, that’s on me as one of the main scorers to pull them to the side.”

Fernández started Thomas eight straight times before the Louisiana State University alum went down Nov. 5 in Indiana, the site of the Nets’ first victory after seven consecutive losses to open the year.

When he’ll put him back in the first five, if at all, isn’t clear yet, but Thomas has continued to do what he’s done throughout his Nets career, regardless of whether it’s off the bench or from the opening tip.

Thomas and the Nets will seek their second straight win following a three-game slide Wednesday, when they host the Orlando Magic (20-17) at Barclays Center.

Jase Richardson scored 20 points in a reserve role and Desmond Bane added 15 on Tuesday as Orlando suffered a 120-112 loss in Washington.

The Magic were without the Wagner brothers, Franz (ankle) and Moritz (knee), in our nation’s capital due to injury.

Neither player’s status was updated for Wednesday’s tilt at press time.

Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

The game will air locally on the YES Network.

The Nets expect to have starting center Nic Claxton back in the lineup Wednesday when they host Orlando at Barclays Center. AP Photo by Noah K. Murray

NOTHING BUT NET: Saraf has been ruled out for Wednesday with left-knee soreness, but the Nets expect to have starting center Nic Claxton back against the Magic. Claxton missed the last two games for personal reasons. … This will be the second meeting of the year between the teams. Orlando dropped Brooklyn to 1-11 at the Kia Center on Nov. 14 with a 105-98 triumph that saw the Magic score the game’s final 11 points. … After hosting Orlando, the Nets will close out their three-game homestand vs. the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. 

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