Ultimately I question what Cam Thomas’s role is. He can clearly score from all over the court, though I think a lot of this is just a function of defenses having no scouting report on a third-string guy thrust into a lead scoring role. Looked like Mikal Bridges largely shut him down in the second half until late in the fourth, when Phoenix built a double-digit lead and then backed off (almost too much).
The issue is he does nothing else. Not a creator for others. Negative defender - he gives a decent effort in on-ball perimeter defense but he’s an average athlete, he lacks the size or tenacity to be switchable, and he does nothing off-ball or in help defense. That’s a difficult package because he’s hurting his own team unless he’s scoring in bunches.
I think he can be a good gun off the bench for a team that can put the ball in his hands a lot and can cover his defensive weaknesses. I don’t think he’s a good enough scorer to succeed against other teams’ best defenders as a star, and I don’t think he has the skillset/mindset of a role player. Reminds me a bit of Monta Ellis in that regard.
