Now that they have lost both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets are suffering a bit of an identity crisis.
How is a team supposed to move forward after the departure of such megastar talents like those two?
By relying on some of the young breakout stars who are ready to take their place, that’s how.
One of those players is Cam Thomas, who has suddenly appeared on nearly everyone’s radar over the last few weeks.
Since the start of February, Thomas has been the biggest star for Brooklyn.
Recently, Thomas scored more than 40 points for three consecutive games.
This was a strong showing from the guard and garnered him plenty of headlines and attention.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn was very proud of Thomas but he also kept that achievement in perspective.
“Super happy for him…But at the same time, we lost two of those games. So the ultimate goal is to create a team and an atmosphere where everyone can be a participant and we’re gonna utilize and maximize everyone’s talent.”
– Jacque Vaughn on Cam scoring 40+ in 3 straight games… https://t.co/sjhxzb7c1u pic.twitter.com/ADDXRWItJM
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 22, 2023
Here is what Vaughn said about Thomas’ three 40-point games, with quotes from Nets insider Erik Slater:
“Super happy for him. But at the same time, we lost two of those games. So the ultimate goal is to create a team and an atmosphere where everyone can be a participant and we’re gonna utilize and maximize everyone’s talent.”
Vaughn raises a very good point: even with Thomas’ terrific games, the Nets didn’t always find victory.
They lost against the Los Angeles Clippers when Thomas posted 47 points and again against the Phoenix Suns when he scored 43.
This goes to show that the Nets still have a lot to work on even though one of their players is becoming a household name.
Vaughn has his work cut out for him now that both Irving and Durant are gone.
But he also has a roster full of driven young players who are looking to prove themselves.
The talent and potential are there, now it’s just time for the Nets to capitalize and come together as an even stronger team.
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