Cam Thomas quells Nets fitness concerns with strong return from injury

Cam Thomas made his return a triumphant one. And an impressive one.

After Thomas missed 20 straight games due to a strained left hamstring, there were many questions about how his ISO play and questionable defense would fit into the Nets’ new style. Apparently the answer was fine.

Playing his first game since Nov. 5, Thomas had 30 points off the bench on 9-for-15 shooting, including 3-for-8 from deep and a perfect 9-for-9 from the stripe.

“Just really [glad] to play again, it feels good to be back with the boys, making the right play, making the right shots. And we played very well. We got a win out of this. That’s even better for me,” Thomas said. “It’s good to have everyone connected. Everyone was on the same page, but there was no drop-off between the starters and the bench. So that’s very important now that there’s no drop-off. So they did great on the bench, came in and did well. So we want to build on that, and we’ll see how that goes. But I’m just happy we won.”

It marked his sixth career 30-point game off the bench, tying him with Spencer Dinwiddie for the most in Nets franchise history. It’s the most off the bench for Brooklyn since Tyrese Martin had 30 on Nov. 27, 2024, in Phoenix.

And Thomas did it efficiently, in just 19:48 of playing time.

“I’ve never seen anyone play 20 minutes and 30 minutes. It was so efficient. It’s so effortless,” Nic Claxton said. “We need him. He takes it to a whole other level, especially with the way we’ve been playing, especially defensively. When things are stagnant, he can just score at will. So he played phenomenal. And I’m super happy for him. He’s been through a lot.”

Thomas injured the same hamstring three times last season, limiting him to just 25 games.

Brooklyn was 0-7 when he hurt the ball again just minutes after their Nov. 5 goal against Indiana. They won that game and turned their season around, now 10-12 since behind stout defense and egalitarian offense. On Saturday, Thomas didn’t disrupt either.

He was purely additive.

“[I liked] his way of thinking. He let the game come to him. He assisted, zero turnovers was an easy play every time. And I’m pretty sure the potential assists were high because he made the right play every time,” said coach Jordi Fernández. “Sometimes you can’t control whether they are assists, but you just play the right way. And getting to the free throw line, and as efficient as it was, it was just really impressive.

“We have to be careful with the number of minutes we play against him. And knowing that he had a short number of minutes and used them efficiently and efficiently for the team. He just made the right play every time: whether it was to score against the line or pass water. So a very clean game, very connected with his teammates, talking to them, telling them what to do. That’s all.”