September 22, 2024

Cam Thomas is on a scoring binge in the NBA. That’s nothing new for the former Oscar Smith High and LSU star.

Cam Thomas #CamThomas

Cam Thomas’ basketball career has had at least one constant at every level: scoring.

At Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake, Thomas led South Hampton Roads in scoring as a freshman, and little changed when he finished his high school career at Oak Hill Academy and moved on to LSU.

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Now, given a chance in the NBA, Thomas is again pouring in the points.

Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound guard, scored 47 points Monday night for the Brooklyn Nets in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, giving him 91 points in two games since he was elevated in the lineup after the trade of star guard Kyrie Irving.

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Thomas, a first-round pick (27th overall) in 2021, had logged more than 25 minutes just five times all season. But he scored 44 points in 29 minutes in a win against Washington on Saturday, then followed that with 47 points in 39 minutes Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, Thomas made 15 of 29 shots from the floor and drained 7 of 11 3-pointers.

“Really, when I hit my first two threes, I came out hot early,” Thomas said during postgame Tuesday night. “I didn’t know it’d be another 40 [points], but I knew I’d have another great game.”

Thomas’ recent scoring binge shouldn’t be a surprise to those who have followed his career. In his lone season at Oscar Smith, he averaged 23.7 points per game and was an all-state and all-region selection before transferring to Oak Hill.

As an LSU freshman — during his only season with the Tigers — Thomas was the nation’s fourth-leading scorer, averaging a Southeastern Conference-best 23 points while also leading the SEC in free-throw percentage and field goals made.

Thomas led all NCAA Division I freshmen in scoring.

In the NBA, Thomas has played only sparingly this season, scoring 20-plus points just three times before Saturday. The Nets, though, shipped a disgruntled Irving to Dallas in a recent trade, opening the door for Thomas.

“I love to hoop, man, love to stay ready,” Thomas said. “I want to play in the real games; who doesn’t? Really, I just try to stay in the moment and when I do get my opportunity, I try to make the most of it. I don’t want to look bad.

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“I just want to go out there and give my best, give my all and do the best that I can.”

Thomas, 21, has raised his season scoring average to 9.5 points with his past two performances, and his back-to-back 40-point games put in him rare company. LeBron James is the only player younger than Thomas to score 40-plus points in consecutive games.

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James needed 36 points to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer heading into Tuesday night’s game against Oklahoma City.

“That’s great company; I’m glad to have my name mentioned with that guy, even though I’m a Kobe {Bryant] guy,” Thomas said with a laugh.

“I’m kidding,” added Thomas, who wore a Bryant-themed jacket on draft night. “It’s great company.”

Thomas soon will have a familiar face in the Nets’ locker room. Brooklyn acquired forward Dorrian Finney-Smith — who played at Norcom High in Portsmouth — along with guard Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round draft pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029 from Dallas for Irving and forward Markieff Morris.

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Finney-Smith, a 6-7, 220-pounder, spent six-plus seasons with Dallas and this season averages 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. He was expected to be with the team when the Nets played at Phoenix on Tuesday night.

“I know [Finney-Smith] because we’re from the same area,” Thomas said. “Gritty defender, great shooter. … So he’ll be a really good glue guy for us, can do whatever we need him to do.”

Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com. Twitter @JamiVP.

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