Zach Lowe gets honest about back-and-forth with Nets star Cam Thomas, ‘Scoring burst guy’

Throughout his four seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, Thomas has shown considerable growth. Everyone knew he was a natural scorer from his high school and college days.

However, he continued to develop and became the team’s most reliable offensive player in the 2024-25 season.

The term “ball hog” is the primary criticism of Thomas’ game. The 23-year-old understandably disliked the branding, considering he is an underrated playmaker.

He made sure to call out critics, including Lowe, who labeled Thomas an empty-calorie ball hog. He fired back, and Lowe has spoken about what happened.

Zach Lowe believes Cam Thomas won’t be a star in the NBA

Initially, Lowe assessed Thomas’ game and how he could help teams. Unfortunately, his analysis was about how he would struggle as a lead star on a team.

The Nets could currently benefit from featuring him as a star, but the long-term role could be as a sixth man, which is a fair assessment.

But Thomas’ frustrations are also valid, as he could feel unfairly undermined. He should use this as motivation to perform better and work on his game, particularly his playmaking.

He let his frustrations get to him, as he responded to Lowe. This could also be related to how Thomas has not received a contract yet despite his promising potential. After making those remarks, Lowe responded as well.

“I did talk about how some of his passes are like ‘I’m in jail’ last-resort passes. What does he look like as an off-ball player? It was a fair [assessment]. No one on national media goes through Cam Thomas’ 100 pick-and-rolls,” Lowe said on his podcast.

“The guy can straight-up get buckets. There is a place for him in the NBA, and in my opinion, it is as a 6th or 7th man scoring burst guy.

“I do think sometimes he plays like a ball hog, and that’s okay because he can score and he’s on a terrible team.”

Free agency has been a reality check for Cam Thomas

When it comes to pure scoring, Thomas is one of the best in the league. He has all the tools to become a top scorer, thanks his self-creation ability.

The 23-year-old has tremendous shot-making skills, but that is not the best way to evaluate basketball talent nowadays.

The NBA is a team-oriented league, and isolation scorers are not as significant as they were two decades ago.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are the best examples of those isolation scorers. But despite their skills in isolation, they are still phenomenal teammates with their playmaking.

Thomas wants to stay in Brooklyn, but that might require a pay cut. He has reportedly already received a two-year, $28 million offer, which feels disrespectful.

He knows he deserves more money, but the Nets are unwilling to budge. And even if head coach Jordi Fernandez likes Thomas’ game, the Nets’ front office will make the final decision.