Re: What is Cam Thomas’ ceiling?
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:34 pm
My point about Nurkic and Porzingis is that you need big men whom the defense can't afford to switch on screen plays. Currently, good teams can comfortably switch a smaller player (mostly from 2-4 positions) onto Claxton or Cam Johnson because both can't punish a smaller defender effectively.
Regarding building around Cam Thomas, what I'm saying is you can (“can” not “should”) build around Cam Thomas by having multiple players who can punish teams that switch on screen plays, draw extra help, and then kick it out to the open man. When all else fails, that's when you involve Cam Thomas, similar to how the Celtics utilize Tatum.
I don't mean to imply that you should just give the ball to Cam Thomas and let him run the offense like Luka. That style isn't conducive to winning basketball because it becomes too predictable and taxing.
I believe Cam's usage rate is too high; he needs to focus on efficiency. However, this won't happen with the current roster, which is more suited for a player like Luka who can run the offense, create shots, and facilitate for open shooters.
Ultimately, Cam is still a work in progress. We don't know how good or bad he'll become, but his potential is promising. His elite isolation scoring is a valuable skill typically seen in star players. With more talented teammates and a better coach to alleviate pressure, he can focus on efficiency, have more energy for defense, and pass the ball effectively with better teammates.
Regarding building around Cam Thomas, what I'm saying is you can (“can” not “should”) build around Cam Thomas by having multiple players who can punish teams that switch on screen plays, draw extra help, and then kick it out to the open man. When all else fails, that's when you involve Cam Thomas, similar to how the Celtics utilize Tatum.
I don't mean to imply that you should just give the ball to Cam Thomas and let him run the offense like Luka. That style isn't conducive to winning basketball because it becomes too predictable and taxing.
I believe Cam's usage rate is too high; he needs to focus on efficiency. However, this won't happen with the current roster, which is more suited for a player like Luka who can run the offense, create shots, and facilitate for open shooters.
Ultimately, Cam is still a work in progress. We don't know how good or bad he'll become, but his potential is promising. His elite isolation scoring is a valuable skill typically seen in star players. With more talented teammates and a better coach to alleviate pressure, he can focus on efficiency, have more energy for defense, and pass the ball effectively with better teammates.
