Cam Thomas has officially arrived for the Brooklyn Networks. Or, perhaps more accurately, Brooklyn has reached a point where Thomas is allowed to shine as his true, authentic self.

It all starts with the change of coach. Thomas forced Brooklyn’s hand last season with his trademark net-scorcher, but Jacque Vaughn always seemed to have some kind of strange vendetta against the former No. 27 overall pick. That’s not to say Thomas was above criticism; In fact, Thomas has always been pretty easy to criticize, but Vaughn seemed to go out of his way to disrespect him.

Now Jordi Fernández is on the bench and in the locker room, and suddenly Thomas seems completely empowered as the Nets’ main offensive fulcrum. Obviously, circumstances are different with Mikal Bridges in Manhattan and a rebuild in full effect, but the version of Cam Thomas we’ve seen at the start of this season simply wasn’t allowed to exist a year ago.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that everything has changed, as many of Thomas’s old habits (good and bad) persist in this new, elevated state. He is the face of Nets basketball for all intents and purposes, but the question is: Can he lead Brooklyn into the future or is he simply a bridge to the next chapter?

In terms of purely one-on-one scoring, few NBA players can match Thomas. Especially guards. Thomas doesn’t have the 6-foot-11 frame of Kevin Durant or the blunt-force power of Joel Embiid to manufacture points. He does it the old-fashioned way, presumably yelling ‘Kobe!’ or ‘MJ!’ as he launches a complex series of dribble moves toward a contested and missed jump shot.

The footwork, shooting touch and boundless confidence are equally inspiring and dangerous, in more ways than one. It is often dangerous for the opponent, who has to take into account that Thomas can uncork a shot at any time. Other times, it’s dangerous for the Nets, who are victims of poor shot selection and a poor offensive process.

That said, Thomas has made substantial progress in that regard, and that’s why there are genuine reasons to be optimistic about his quick start. Thomas hasn’t developed into a natural point guard, but he has developed a willingness to do basic pass reading.

Thomas averages 3.1 assists in 34.0 minutes, which isn’t much for a player who spends as much time on the ball as he does. Thomas ranks eighth in the league in usage rate (32.0) at this time. Anthony Davis is the only player with a higher usage rate with fewer assists average (3.0), and he’s obviously a center. So, yes, Thomas is still somewhat limited by his tunnel vision.

That said, baby steps still count as progress, and Thomas has slowly but surely expanded his reach on the court. He’s hitting open shooters off drives, slowing down bigs rolling to the rim, and manipulating the defense with his gravity for purposes other than shooting. Do you do those things often enough? Maybe not, but Thomas is 23 years old. He’s not a finished product, and the more freedom Brooklyn gives him, the more room Thomas has to expand his production.

His 3.1 assists would qualify as a career high. However, if we extrapolate it per 100 possessions, Thomas is basically averaging the same volume of assists as he did last season (4.5 to 4.4) with a notable increase in turnovers (3.6 to 2.9). That speaks to his more robust use and more complex responsibilities, and perhaps absolves him, in some ways, of the low attendance numbers. It’s early in the season and the Nets certainly aren’t taking advantage of every potential assist from Thomas. That said, it’s proof that there is still room to grow.

However, the gradual progress Thomas has made should give Nets fans and the coaching staff confidence that Thomas can reach the next level of stardom. He needs to do more than just up his passing numbers (the cold spells of late are concerning), but Thomas is eating a healthy diet of 3-pointers, averaging 7.8 attempts per game, and is getting to the line more than ever (6.5 FTA). ). That’s proof that Thomas is prioritizing the right types of shots, trading contested middies for contested 3-pointers and getting to the rim more often. There is room for improvement across the board, but Thomas is on the right upward trajectory. It’s an exciting revelation for an otherwise dour Nets team.

Thomas always freestyles to get to the points with fascinating and infuriating manners. However, if he can combine his fearless spirit with a more disciplined approach, Thomas has all the skills needed to emerge on the other side of this Nets rebuild as a true All-Star.

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Memphis big man Zach Edey put together a dominant Performance of 25 points and 12 rebounds on Monday to stake his claim to the Rookie of the Year race. He has been the obvious frontrunner since the jump as a starter into a contender, but it’s been a slow campaign for the entire rookie class. Edey had his first truly breakthrough performance, but now he has company.

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher finally broke out of his slump Wednesday night, scoring 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting (6-of-10 on 3-pointers) in a stirring Atlanta Falcons victory over him New York Knicks. He did a little bit of everything, executing contested 3-point moves, overcoming downhill closeouts and competing hard on the defensive end (three steals, two blocks).

This was the dream of Risacher believers before the draft. It fits a classically valued wing archetype and provides the theoretical polish of an established European professional. Let’s not count our eggs before they hatch (an explosive performance does not define a successful career), but after a slump in shooting to begin his NBA tenure, Risacher looked comfortable and confident against the best group of wing defenders in the East on Wednesday. It is an important step in the right direction.

As always, patience with rookies and young players in general prevails. We have a tendency to overreact to results night after night, when progress often takes months or years to fully materialize. Risacher wasn’t my favorite lottery prospect heading into June’s draft, but Hawks fans are feeling pretty good about things this morning.