Nov 3, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Could Cam Thomas's Absence Finally Warrant Big Rookie Minutes?

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 7:00 PM ET

At long last, the Brooklyn Nets have a number higher than zero in the victory column. The Nets snagged their first win of the season on the road Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, winning 112-103.

It was a sigh of relief for a team off to its worst start in 10 years. Brooklyn dropping games is warranted due to the fact that the organization is rebuilding, but seeing your team get a win is always a good feeling.

However, the Nets lost a major piece in the process, as Cam Thomas would go down with a hamstring injury early in the game. The star shooting guard re-injured the same hamstring that kept him out for 59 games last season, which could be a concern for the future.

Cam Thomas tweaked his left hamstring on this play and has been ruled out for the rest of tonight's game.

That's the same hamstring that Thomas strained three times last season. pic.twitter.com/mF7q3PUExq
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 6, 2025

Head coach Jordi Fernandez said that the team will reevaluate Thomas on Thursday, but for now, he could be out for Friday's matchup with the Detroit Pistons. While it's unfortunate that Brooklyn's 23-year-old star may not be on the floor, this opens up an opportunity that the team should have been incorporating from the start of the season.

The Nets have had a glaring problem regarding rookie minutes. They drafted a league-record five players within the top 30 of this year's NBA draft, but so far, none of them have received consistent rotation time.

Egor Demin, who played just 13 minutes in Wednesday's game, leads the rookies in minutes per game at 18.9. He has shown some flashes of his potential, but Fernandez continues to keep him and Ben Saraf buried on the bench. While Drake Powell has been dealing with early injuries, Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf have already spent time in Long Island with the Nets' G League affiliate.

Really good sequence from the Nets' rookies. Drake Powell goes coast to coast for a layup followed by an Egor Demin three.

Brooklyn needs to give these guys more opportunities in these games. pic.twitter.com/Ka0DhEPf2f
— Jed Katz (@JedKatz_) November 2, 2025

With Thomas potentially out, along with Haywood Highsmith already not having played due to offseason surgery, Fernandez and the staff need to pounce on the opportunity to play the rookies more.

The Nets don't need to win many games this season. The goals are clear: set yourself up for a top draft pick in 2026 and develop the young talent you already have. When no rookie is playing more than 20 minutes per game thus far, that's a problem.

Brooklyn will certainly miss Thomas, who has been the team's most impactful offensive player this season. But the goal isn't for him to shine individually, but for the Nets to show that they're heading in the right direction with their draft picks.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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