The Brooklyn Nets might possess one of the NBA's next superstars. Rising fourth-year guard Cam Thomas will enter the 2024-25 season motivated to build off his promising previous campaign. Thomas has been working hard during the offseason and was spotted training alongside Ben Simmons and other Nets ahead of team training camp. Thomas caught fans' attention for an attribute outside of traditional abilities.
The picture the Nets posted of Thomas working out reveals what appears to be an increase in strength and muscle in the guard's frame:
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 13, 2024
As a result, fans admired the work Thomas has put in and noted the positives that can come from his body transformation:
"30 points per game incoming, pack it up," one fan commented on X (formerly Twitter).
"He bulked up? That's a good thing," another fan added.
Fans further highlighted that Thomas' transformation will help him better stand his ground on defense, an area of his game that needs improvement. On the offensive side, Thomas was already a shifty shot creator, but perhaps his newfound strength will help him have more of a post presence.
Despite the enthusiasm for Thomas' apparent change, one fan emphasized that seeing how Thomas performs when the season starts is most important.
"It's still offseason wait until preseason starts [to analyze his performance], the fan commented.
How big of a jump will Cam Thomas make in 2024-25?
Analysts expect Thomas to make a massive improvement during the 2024-25 season. After averaging 10.5 points per game during his second year with the Nets, Thomas jumped to a career-high 22.5 mark in 2023-24. With the Nets entering a full rebuild and embracing their young talent more, one NBA insider made an unreal scoring prediction for Thomas' 2024-25 campaign.
ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks believes Thomas could lead the league in the scoring. It is not hard to see Marks' sentiment. Thomas became the youngest player player in NBA history to score three straight 40-points games during a stretch between Feb. 4 and Feb. 7 of 2023. He has played alongside some of the best scorers of the generation: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Now, Thomas is ready to pave his own path.
With all the buzz surrounding Thomas, will he be able to make the jump fans and analysts expect of him? That depends on how Jordi Fernandez chooses the Nets' offense to be orchestrated. Yet, all signs point toward Thomas taking the reigns and becoming more of a leader on the squad. If he continues to do what he has done during his first three years in the league, Thomas will be just fine.