A Public Criticism That Reignites Questions

When Cam Thomas said the Brooklyn Nets “didn’t believe in anyone,” it was a strong statement with emotion from a player once known to be a rising star. It also brought a level of curiosity about a team still looking for its identity.

Now with the Milwaukee Bucks, Thomas spoke about the Nets after a messy divorce at the trade deadline. When asked why he thinks the Nets did not retain him, Thomas was blunt: “That’s just who they are. They don’t believe in nobody.” He also said: “They always thought—I don’t know. They always thought something was better, I guess. I don’t know. Always chasing something.” This is a rather damning indictment from a player who was once a key scorer for the Nets.

A Scorer Without a Defined Timeline

Thomas came into the league as a fearless scorer, capable of putting up 40 points on a good night, and he certainly did flash glimpses of star potential playing for the Nets. The issue was not talent, the issue was direction.

After dissolving the strong group of Kyrie, Durant and Harden, the Nets lingered in limbo, neither fully rebuilding nor fully contending. Their roles and rotations shifted, and the future of the players was always uncertain until this season with the drafting of five first-round rookies and a complete overhaul of the roster.

From the player’s perspective, uncertainty can manifest as a lack of belief. If the organization does not assure the player that he is part of the future, the player might think he is not believed in.

But belief in the NBA does not exist at a subjective level, it exists objectively based on performance and business. If you play good and fit within the system, you shouldn’t have any trouble staying on the roster. If you play wild, despite your talent, it is possible you may end up as bench role player despite the potential you show.

Production in Question

Thomas’ recent stats in Milwaukee don’t help his case at all. His last five games have seen him average:

• 7.4 points

• 1..8 assists

• 1.2 turnovers

• 10-39 shooting (25.6%)

• 2-12 shooting from three (16.7%)

• 16.4 minutes per game

These stats don’t scream star nor even a starter-level player. This seems more of inefficiency. While five games may not be enough to judge a player on their new team, in this league, what happens on the floor often determines what’s said off it.

If you doubt the organization’s support for you publicly, considering it’s the one who drafted you, your stats become part of the case for and against your assertion, in which fans and critics will pick apart.

This in no way diminishes Thomas’ frustration. Athletes want to know they’re wanted and needed. In this league, however, you’re only wanted and needed if you deliver and in Cam’s case, he’s been short of that as of now for the Bucks.

Brooklyn’s Identity Is Found

This, of course, does not mean that the Nets do not make mistakes too. Since their star-studded era, the Nets have been struggling to make their intentions clear until this year as they made it a rebuild season. They are building around young players, they are accumulating draft picks, and they are waiting for free agency but before then, they were atoning from the super team era and the amount of picks lost.

A rebuilding team needs two things: to find a core, and to support it consistently. If support is inconsistent, so is a player's confidence.

These comments from Thomas illustrate the point during that time before this season. But a team does not just look at a player's ability to score. It wants to see defense, playmaking, and togetherness, Thomas did not provide those things to the Nets nor did he develop more to his already scoring talent. Thomas is a high-volume scorer, always has been. He can be exciting to watch, and also he can be inefficient, too. His all-around game simply has not been the complete package that a team needs to build around, thus the reasoning of them moving on from him during the trade deadline.

Results Will Decide the Outcome

The truth probably lays somewhere in the middle. Thomas may believe the team did not show him the level of commitment he wanted despite showing his flashes of scoring talent. The Nets may believe Thomas' game still needs work before they commit fully to him as a possible rising star.

Now the spotlight is on Milwaukee. If Thomas is able to expand his game and contribute on both ends for the Bucks, he starts to discredit the critics. If he continues to be erratic, he continues the trend. Trust is not given; it is earned by playing well and improving your overall game, not just scoring the basket.

The Nets are establishing who they are, A team who works off ball-movement, getting good shots and playing high-level defense. Thomas is still establishing who he is as a NBA player, trying to play consistent minutes on a NBA franchise.

The scoreboard will be the ultimate judge at the end of the day for both sides.