How Nets' Jordi Fernandez wants Cam Thomas to respond to offensive "frustration"

11/04/2024 11:34 AM

After a hot start to the season, Cam Thomas cooled off during the Brooklyn Nets’ 106-92 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The 23-year-old struggled against a physical Pistons defense, posting 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting with two assists and three turnovers.

Without his production, the Nets’ offense faltered down the stretch, scoring 35 points in the second half after leading by nine earlier in the game.

Thomas looked visibly frustrated throughout the game, after which Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said the fourth-year guard must find ways to make an impact outside of scoring.

“I see frustration, and that’s what we need to move on from,” Fernandez said of Thomas’ performance. “If you’re guarded by their best defender and they’re very physical, that tells you that you’re a good player. So he’s gotta move on, and that’s what I want him to do, is give us that energy. Obviously, you’re not gonna be able to score every time, but you can find a way to help your team score.”

“Today, CT wasn’t efficient. Sometimes, when that happens, you give yourself up with cuts, or you find your teammates, and that’s what I want to see. You’re a scorer, but if they do certain things to you, then maybe it’s a day that you score less, but you assist more. And that’s part of the growth that we all want to see.”

Asked Jordi Fernandez about Cam Thomas' low assist numbers and what he's seen in that area:

"I see frustration, and that's what we need to move on from… You're not gonna be able to score every time, but you can find a way to help your team score. Today, CT wasn't efficient,… pic.twitter.com/DjD61HD1yE

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 4, 2024

This season marks Thomas’ second as a full-time member of an NBA rotation. However, with the Nets trading Mikal Bridges and pivoting to a rebuild, he’s shouldered a heavier offensive burden.

Cam Thomas responds to frustrations after Nets loss to Pistons

Entering the season as Brooklyn’s lead offensive option, Thomas has often faced the opposition’s top defender. While Fernandez said he’d like to see him respond better to the challenges that can present, Thomas didn’t feel he needed to make adjustments Sunday, instead pointing to a lack of calls from the officials.

“There is no adjustment,” Thomas said. “It doesn’t matter who’s guarding me, I'm playing my game, just trying to do what I can to help the team. But same time, it’s tough. You know, when you’re aggressive, getting to the paint and getting held and grabbed every play, and nothing’s being called, it gets frustrated after a while. It's just tough.”

While Thomas has been among the NBA’s top scorers this season, averaging 28.2 points per game entering the Pistons matchup, questions remain about his playmaking capabilities.

The Nets guard is averaging 2.7 assists this season despite playing 34.0 minutes per game. Only 9.2 percent of his offensive possessions are ending in an assist, ranking 84th among 98 qualified shooting guards, according to ESPN.com.

"I mean, they're open, and I'm passing to them,” Thomas said when asked about his low assist numbers. “I'm trying to make the right play in the game and make the reads. So that's it. I don't really look at any of that. I just try to play my game and play the right way out there."

Thomas’ potential assist numbers have increased marginally compared to last season. He’s averaging 7.0 per 36 minutes compared to 6.3 in 2023-24. However, when accounting for his usage, he still ranks toward the bottom of NBA guards regarding potential assists.

The former first-round pick is averaging one potential assist every 9.5 touches, ranking 46th among 51 guards to average over 55 or more touches per game.

Thomas’ long-term NBA role remains a polarizing subject in the final year of his rookie contract. He’ll have no shortage of reps to round out the less polished aspects of his game this season, namely playmaking and defending.

Doing so could go a long way in the eyes of NBA executives ahead of his impending free agency next summer.

The post How Nets’ Jordi Fernandez wants Cam Thomas to respond to offensive “frustration” appeared first on ClutchPoints.