NBA analyst echoes Cam Thomas' opinion

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has begun silencing his doubters. After an efficient performance against the Boston Celtics in which Thomas dropped 31 points on 11 of 22 shooting, one of his biggest critics made an about-face.

Bill Simmons has always been a Cam Thomas doubter

Bill Simmons, a well-known NBA analyst and prominent Celtics fan, has long been beating the drum that Thomas is not a franchise building block player. Simmons was often critical of the young guard, often portraying Thomas as an inefficient ball eater who is the type of player who puts up good stats while leading bad teams. The idea is that while the surface numbers look good, inefficiency, selfishness and one-dimensional play lead to a team's downfall despite high points per game.

Simmons' harshest criticism of Thomas came at the end of last season, when many viewed Thomas as a potential finalist for the Most Improved Player Award, in a season in which he increased his scoring average from 10.6 points per game to 22.5 points per game increased as he took on a larger, albeit inconsistent, role.

During a segment on his eponymous podcast last April, Simmons and guest Ryen Rusillo discussed their “Made-Up Awards,” evaluating players who are typically left out of major award categories in both positive and negative light. Simmons nominated Thomas for the NBA's Biggest Black Hole award. The logic supporting Simmons' claim was Thomas' high field goal attempt rate, low assist numbers and poor assist-to-turnover ratio.

Simmons changed his mind after seeing Thomas play Friday night

While attending the Nets-Celtics game last Friday, Simmons had a different opinion of Thomas after watching the brilliant young scorer put on a dominant performance against one of the NBA's best defensive teams.

After the game, Simmons commented on Thomas' ability to play in the NBA on Twitter/X:

Went to Celts-Nets. It's been brewing for 2 weeks now, but I'm officially admitting that I beat myself up over my good stats/bad team attitudes/Cam Thomas jokes in the preseason. Was impressed with his shooting quality and competitive spirit. Didn't play selfish. Held his own against elite defenders. A legitimate asset.

Clearly, it was more than just a game that led to Simmons' change of heart and is a testament to the work Thomas has done to improve his game. Simmons now considers Thomas a “legitimate asset,” and while you may or may not agree with Simmons in his original or revised analysis, the veteran analyst has seen a lot of basketball in his time.

Thomas is on the right track with the Nets

There's still plenty of work to be done for Thomas, who the Nets hope can be a star they can build around, and this season will be a crucial test in determining his future. The signs on the square were there. While one would wish for more in terms of playmaking and facilitation, there is no denying that the 23-year-old is proving he can carry the goal load as he becomes the undisputed number one for the first time in his professional career.

Additionally, while averaging 25.2 points per game is nice, Thomas shows maturity and leadership qualities. After Friday night's game, Thomas spoke to the media:

“I'm not really a fan of moral victories because I feel like the game was winnable,” Thomas said. “We led most of the game. In the end they just had a few good possessions and were able to make big shots… It wasn't like we were badly outmatched from start to finish. Usually when we play here it's always a fight. But today it was really good to just start quickly and then stick to the plan.”