Cam Thomas stats: Second-year guard does his best Kyrie Irving impression

The Nets wasted no time dealing with Kyrie Irving’s trade request. It opened a hole in their rotation and Cam Thomas looks ready to fill it.

With Kyrie Irving gone and Kevin Durant still recovering from his MCL sprain, the Nets are in desperate need of scoring and shot creation. So far, Cam Thomas looks ready to provide. He dropped 47 points Monday night against the Clippers, hitting 15-of-29 from the field, 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and 10-of-11 from the free throw line.

This wasn’t a one-off either, Thomas dropped 44 in his previous game, in just under 30 minutes. Over his last four games, Thomas has averaged 32.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Cam Thomas could play a much larger role for the Nets going forward

Thomas, in his second season out of LSU, has been in and out of the Nets’ rotation this season. As an on-ball scoring threat, his primacy has depended a lot on whether Durant and Irving are in the lineup or not. However, his per-minute numbers demonstrate his potential though.

Across the entire season, Thomas is averaging 22.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per 36 minutes, shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 43.9 percent on 3-pointers. He’s been much better and creating for others but he’s been especially prolific in attacking and setting up his own shot. He’s made 40 percent of his pull-up 3-pointers this season and he’s shooting 45.2 percent off drives.

Kevin Durant is still the top dog here but Thomas looks prepared to step up as a secondary scorer and creator. If he keeps playing like this it could go a long way toward keeping Durant happy in Brooklyn.

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