Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas is in the midst of the best season of his NBA career so far, and during a recent game against the Golden State Warriors, he left an impression on veteran forward Draymond Green.
On his podcast, Green explained that Thomas reminded him of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant at a certain point during the matchup.
"He rose up and shot it… He different. This is Kobe like"@Money23Green shares the Warriors game plan to shut down Cam Thomas, but things didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Catch the episode w/ @BaronDavis when it drops at 11 am! https://t.co/OzYt2SLVYK pic.twitter.com/2eVo6a2KL9
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) November 27, 2024
“The strategy was, we were gonna double him no matter where he went on the floor,” Green said. “We were double-teamin’ him. He came off a handoff, we was double-teamin’ him. If he came off a ball screen, we was double-teamin’ him. And when I realized the strategy wasn’t gon’ work…I was in a full-out trap, me and Moses Moody.
“And I’m like, ‘Ah, yeah, we got him close to the sideline. He boutta turn the ball over.’ That man pulled up and shot. I almost fouled him because I’m still comin’ up on the trap. I’m still closin’ the trap in, and he just rose up and shot it. I was like, ‘Oh! Oh naw! He different! This is Kobe-like!'”
Thomas helped the Nets earn an impressive road win over the Warriors, with Brooklyn using a big fourth quarter to win by a 128-120 final. Thomas left the game early, but he did his part in 23 minutes, scoring 23 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field and 3-for-7 shooting from deep.
His early exit from the game was initially chalked up to fatigue, but he’s now going to miss some time due to a hamstring injury. It’s unclear if he suffered the injury against the Warriors, but it seems like a real possibility.
Brooklyn Nets rising star Cam Thomas will miss three to four weeks due to a left hamstring strain, sources told ESPN. Thomas ranks 14th in the NBA in scoring, averaging career highs of 24.7 points on 46.1% shooting from the field and 38.9% from 3. pic.twitter.com/x0W20uCnAT
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 27, 2024
His absence will certainly be felt by the Nets. They’ll miss his 24.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Brooklyn certainly hasn’t been dominant this season, but the team is in respectable territory at 8-10. It’s unclear if the Nets will be able to stay afloat without their leading scorer.
While Green certainly doesn’t think that Thomas, a 23-year-old, and Bryant, an NBA icon, are the same player, the Nets youngster has to feel good hearing Green even gently compare the two. Bryant is viewed as one of the best shooting guards in NBA history, and Thomas would love to end up in that discussion one day.
He has a long way to go, but he clearly has a great deal of potential and has plenty of time to put it all together. The former first-round pick is only in his fourth season.
When Thomas returns to action, he’ll look to keep building on his strong season. In the meantime, the Nets will look to survive without him, starting with their game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
