Oct 22, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) brings the ball down court past Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Should Nets Be Concerned About Cam Thomas' Season-Opening Struggles?

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Ivan White | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 9:21 PM ET

The Brooklyn Nets tipped off their season, and it featured a concerning performance for one of their top players.

Entering this season, the Nets didn’t exactly have high hopes for the 82-game slate. Set to be one of the worst teams in the league, the Nets lived up to those expectations on Wednesday night, falling to the Charlotte Hornets 136-117.

There were plenty of storylines for the Nets in Charlotte despite the disappointing result. From the debuts of some veterans in the Brooklyn black to some rookies making their presence felt in their first game, including Egor Demin’s impressive night, the Nets still had plenty of encouraging things to take from the game.

Of course, it can still be easy to be pessimistic about Brooklyn, considering the Nets were blown out by a squad that has been among the league’s worst in recent years. Another potential reason to be concerned about Brooklyn’s start was the opening performance from Cam Thomas.

Against Charlotte, Thomas had 15 points to go with two assists and two turnovers. While that seems like a typical below-average performance for Thomas, his 2-of-9 performance from the floor wasn’t exactly encouraging.

Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Although it might be easy to push that to the side as a bad shooting night and focus on his 11-of-13 night from the foul line, there were still some concerning pieces of Thomas’ performance. Sure, it’s hard to be too upset about a performance that features 13 free throw attempts, which showcased Thomas’ ability to get to the line.

However, he isn’t some stranger to getting to the stripe, averaging six attempts a game last season. Instead, Thomas’ first game was simply a display of many of the things he’s been criticized for throughout his career.

Although he got to the line plenty, many of his missed shots were him trying to force something. Sure, that could be partially because he’s expected to be the top option on a bad Brooklyn squad, but making the easy play could be the best way to get into a rhythm.

There haven’t been many questions about Thomas’ ability to put the ball in the basket, but his ability to do so efficiently in a way that impacts winning is still shaky. No, there shouldn’t be any wild overreactions to a single game where Thomas got to the line a bunch and only ended with nine field goal attempts.

However, the Nets could be in trouble if this is a sign of things to come.

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

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