The Whiteboard: Cam Thomas is a bucket, but is he a star?

Cam Thomas has officially arrived for the Brooklyn Nets. Or, perhaps more accurately, Brooklyn has arrived at a point where Thomas is allowed to shine as his true, authentic self.

It starts with the change at head coach. Thomas forced Brooklyn's hand last season with his trademark net-scorching, but Jacque Vaughn always seemed to have some sort of weird vendetta against the former 27th overall pick. That's not to say Thomas was above criticism — in fact, Thomas has always been quite easy to criticize — but Vaughn appeared to go out of his way to disrespect him.

Now Jordi Fernandez is on the sideline and in the locker room, and suddenly Thomas appears to be fully empowered as the Nets' primary offensive fulcrum. Obviously the circumstances are different with Mikal Bridges in Manhattan and a rebuild in full effect, but the version of Cam Thomas we've seen to begin this season simply was not allowed to exist a year ago.

That does not necessarily mean everything has changed, however, as many of Thomas' old habits — good and bad — persist in this new, elevated state. He is the face of Nets basketball for all intents and purposes, but the question is, can he lead Brooklyn into the future, or is he simply a bridge to the next chapter?

Cam Thomas can put up points, but what else can he do?

In terms of pure one-on-one scoring, few NBA players can touch Thomas. Especially guards. Thomas does not have Kevin Durant's 6-foot-11 frame or Joel Embiid's blunt-force power to manufacture points. He does it the old-fashioned way, presumably yelling 'Kobe!' or 'MJ!' as he launches a complex series of dribble moves into a contested, fallaway jumper.

The footwork, shot-making touch, and unfettered confidence is equally inspiring and dangerous, in more ways than one. Often it's dangerous for the opponent, who has to account for Thomas potentially uncorking a shot at all times. Other times, it's dangerous for the Nets, who fall victim to ill-advised shot selection and poor offensive process.

That said, Thomas has made substantial progress in that regard, and it's why there is genuine reason for optimism around his quick start. Thomas has not developed into a natural point guard, but he has developed a willingness to make the basic passing read.

Thomas is averaging 3.1 assists in 34.0 minutes, which isn't much for a player who spends as much time on-ball as he does. Thomas ranks eighth in the league in usage rate (32.0) at the moment. Anthony Davis is the only player with a higher usage rate averaging fewer assists (3.0), and he's obviously a center. So, yeah, Thomas remains somewhat limited by his tunnel vision.

That said, baby steps still count as progress, and Thomas has slowly but surely expanded his purview on the court. He's hitting open shooters off of drives, diming up bigs rolling to the rim, and manipulating the defense with his gravity for purposes other than jacking up a shot. Is he doing those things often enough? Perhaps not, but Thomas is 23 years old. He's hardly a finished product, and the more freedom Brooklyn provides him with, the more room Thomas has to expand his output.

His 3.1 assists would qualify as a career high. If we extrapolate it out to per 100 possessions, however, Thomas is basically averaging the same volume of assists as last season (4.5 to 4.4) with a noticeable spike in turnovers (3.6 to 2.9). That speaks to his more robust usage and more complex responsibilities, and perhaps absolves him, in a way, of the low assist numbers. It's early in the season and the Nets certainly aren't converting on every potential assist from Thomas. That said, it's proof that there is still room the grow.

The incremental progress Thomas has made, however, should give Nets fans and the coaching staff confidence that Thomas can reach that next level of stardom. He needs to do more than up his passing numbers — the 3-point cold spells of late are worrying — but Thomas is taking a healthy diet of 3s, averaging 7.8 attempts per game, and he's getting to the line more than ever (6.5 FTA). That is proof that Thomas is prioritizing the right kinds of shots, swapping contested middies for contested 3s and getting all the way to the rim with more frequency. There is room for improvement across the board here, but Thomas is on the right upward trajectory. It's an exciting revelation for an otherwise dour Nets team.

Thomas is always going to freestyle his way to points in manners both mesmerizing and infuriating. If he can blend his fearless spirit with a more disciplined approach, however, Thomas has all the skill necessary to emerge on the other side of this Nets rebuild as a bonafide All-Star.

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NBA news roundup:

• JJ Redick limited D'Angelo Russell to 22 minutes in the Lakers' blowout loss to Memphis for what he dubbed a "lack of compete." After the game, Redick was extremely testy with reporters who pressed him on the Lakers' poor effort. So, yeah, that honeymoon phase is but a memory. Los Angeles has hit its first bump in a long and treacherous road. How does the rookie head coach respond?

• The Clippers were reportedly willing to trade Paul George to the Warriors for Andrew Wiggins, draft picks, and either Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski. The Dubs understandably said no given George's age and injury history, but with so few opportunities to meaningfully add to an aging contender, one can't help but wonder if Golden State will regret its lack of courage.

• "I don't think Giannis wants that," said ESPN's Brian Windhorst when asked about potential trade chatter around the struggling Bucks. Right now the two-time MVP remains off the table, but don't be shocked if Milwaukee is forced into a hard decision as its season spirals down the drain.

Well, well, look how the tables turn: the 2024 NBA Draft class has life

Memphis big man Zach Edey put together a dominant 25-point, 12-rebound performance on Monday to stake his claim on the early Rookie of the Year race. He has been the obvious top candidate from the jump as a starter on an aspiring contender, but it has been a slow-moving campaign for the entire rookie class. Edey had the first real breakthrough performance, but he has company now.

The No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, finally emerged out of his slump on Wednesday night, scoring 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting (6-of-10 on 3s) in a rousing Atlanta Hawks victory over the New York Knicks. He did a little bit of everything, running into contested movement 3s, beating closeouts downhill, and competing hard on the defensive end (three steals, two blocks).

This was the dream for Risacher believers pre-draft. He fits a classically valued wing archetype and he brings the theoretical polish of an established pro in Europe. Let's not count our eggs before they've hatched — one explosive performance does not define a successful career — but after a rough patch of shooting to begin his NBA tenure, Risacher looked comfortable and confident against the East's best batch of wing defenders on Wednesday. It's a significant step in the right direction.

As always, patience prevails with rookies and with young players in general. We have a tendency to overreact to outcomes on a night-to-night basis when progress often takes months or years to fully transpire. Risacher was not my favorite lottery prospect in the lead-up to June's draft, but Hawks fans are feeling mighty good about things this morning.