Through the past few seasons, Cam Thomas has grown from being a late first-round pick to being an explosive scorer. In his four seasons for the Brooklyn Nets, he has constantly improved as a scorer. During the 2024-25 season, he played 25 games and averaged 24 points a night.

Thomas is a superbly talented player, but he has become maligned due to his laser focus on scoring. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but many basketball analysts feel he could be a playmaker. That is probably why he is struggling to get a contract despite his intention to stay. This includes The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, who put him on blast in a podcast.

“The consensus on Cam Thomas — if there is one, and he’s got some fans, and he’s got some mega-detractors – but the consensus is kind of like Empty Calories Ball Hog,” Lowe said on his podcast.

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For his entire career, Thomas’ scoring mindset has led to critics calling him out. He has many moments when he had tunnel vision, as he only wanted to score in isolation plays. That performance usually leads to some bad moments, like Thomas had with former coach Steve Nash.

However, boiling down Thomas’s overall game to that of a ball hog is a disingenuous perspective. Thomas has proven he can grow as a playmaker, as evidenced by his career-high 3.8 assists per game. That is a significant step in the right direction for Thomas, as he feels he can improve.

Among the best free agents left on the market, Thomas is an exciting player. This led to him being a topic on Lowe’s show. The 23-year-old fired back at Lowe and many of his critics with his reply to Lowe’s analysis.

“The consensus? **** you and the consensus @ZachLowe_NBA. This is most likely the same consensus teams who can’t guard me and send double teams from jump ball,” Thomas said on his X account. “Why are we double teaming a guy who’s “not that good” Make it make sense, please.”

Last time speaking on some ****. Empty Calories? First off, we were the 5th or 6th team in the East before my injury and trades. Can’t control what the GM wanna do with the team … 2nd ball hog? I was 2nd on the team in assists, not counting the PGs traded away and traded for.” Thomas continued on X.

After the 2025 offseason, Thomas will likely return to the Nets for the foreseeable future. He could be one of the most prolific scorers in the league with Brooklyn and he will be healthier. However, he should also prove that he is a complete basketball player, not just a scorer.

He increased his assist numbers in the 2024-25 season and has more opportunities to do so. Brooklyn wants a ball-handling guard with high-level playmaking, and Thomas could showcase that. Kevin Durant is a big fan of Thomas, and the young guard should prove him right.

Thomas is not a one-dimensional player. He is talented enough to be a star player, and that should be evident in his play. He will still be a fantastic scorer, but diversifying his game will benefit his reputation.