Nets' Cam Thomas breaks silence on return amid extended injury absence
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The Brooklyn Nets’ offensive struggles continued during Thurday’s 110-97 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Cam Thomas’ return to the lineup could offer the jolt they’ve been missing. The fourth-year guard participated in five-on-five scrimmages on Thursday for the first time since injuring his hamstring on Jan. 2.
“That was good to get back on the court playing,” Thomas told YES Network’s Meghan Triplett. “Just being able to get out there, it was my first five-on-five in a while… I’m really excited. I can’t wait to get back. I think the experience today was really good, just to get back and get the feel for the game again.”
Thomas’ return to five-on-five action indicates he’ll re-enter the Nets’ lineup sooner rather than later.
Cam Thomas nearing return to Nets lineup amid extended absence
Thomas had a career-best start this season after replacing Mikal Bridges as Brooklyn’s No. 1 offensive option. The 24-year-old averaged 24.7 points per game on 45/38/88 shooting splits over 19 appearances.
The Nets have been unable to field a competent offense during Thomas’ absence. They rank dead last in offensive rating (103.5) since his injury, averaging 99.5 points and 15.4 turnovers per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.9 percent from three. D’Angelo Russell exited Thursday’s loss with an ankle injury, presenting another major blow to Brooklyn’s shot creation.
While the Nets have struggled offensively, an NBA-best defense has fueled a 6-2 stretch over their last eight games. The hot streak has pulled Brooklyn 1.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot.
Thomas believes his return will add the scoring punch the team has been missing alongside its surging defense.
“We’ve been really great defensively. Just the guys being aggressive and physical, creating turnovers. I’m just here to help elevate the offense a little bit,” he said. “I can’t wait to do that. I think if we mix the offense with the defense, we’ll be a really difficult team to beat.”
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