How James Harden influenced Cam Thomas' playstyle

“It’s hard for sure, I’m not gonna lie. I worked on that step-back so much because I learned that from James not when he was on the team but before, when I was in college. When he was in Houston, he was using that to cook people,” Cam said on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three.

Parallels between Cam and James

Both players are immensely talented, especially in isolation situations. During his prime years with the Houston Rockets, Harden was probably the best scorer in the world. He had total control of his opponents using his dribbling skills, but his signature move was the step-back jumper.

With that, Cam kept studying The Beard’s game when he was growing up, especially in college at LSU. This coincided with Thomas’ affinity for being the primary scorer which has carried him to great heights not only in college but in the NBA as well. Now, he is the top scorer for the Nets who are always looking to battle for a spot in the Playoffs.

The LSU product's rise is akin to what happened with James after he left the Oklahoma City Thunder. He became the star for the Rockets just like what Cam has done with his improvements with the Nets after two years of essentially being a benchwarmer.

Cam has the potential to be a top-level scorer

With his talents apart from his jump shot, Cam has shown that he could keep up with the best of the best. He is scoring an unreal rate in the 2023/24 season, massively improving from the marks he set as a role player in past seasons.

In the foreseeable future, it's highly likely that Cam will draw lessons from Harden's playbook, positioning himself as a prominent player in the league with the right mindset, and the Nets seem to be his enduring home as he has already solidified his status as the team's leading star.