Nets Notebook: Cam Thomas’ timeline for return remains unclear

Nets defender Cam Thomas suffered a near hamstring strain past period and was expected to beryllium re-evaluated erstwhile the squad returned from its six-game West Coast swing.

Brooklyn hosted the Knicks astatine Barclays Center connected Tuesday aft a 1-5 travel that featured losses to the Nuggets, Jazz, Clippers, Lakers and Thunder. Speaking to reporters up of the game, caput manager Jordi Fernandez provided insignificant updates connected Thomas’ status, but did not corroborate erstwhile he’ll instrumentality to the court.

“[He’s] conscionable [doing] on-court activities with nary contract,” Fernandez said. “He’s done a large job. Everything looks good.”

Thomas, 23, missed his 10th consecutive crippled connected Tuesday. He’s played successful conscionable 2 games since Nov. 27 due to the fact that of hamstring strains. Brooklyn entered the nighttime 6-18 this play without its starring scorer connected the court.

In the 19 games Thomas has played successful this season, he’s averaged 24.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per crippled portion shooting 44.8% from the tract and 37.5% from the 3-point line. His effectual tract extremity percent of 52.8 is simply a career-best.

A RIVALRY RENEWED

The Nets faced the Knicks for the 3rd clip this play connected Tuesday. They mislaid some games against them astatine Madison Square Garden backmost successful November. It was besides Mikal Bridges archetypal clip backmost astatine Barclays Center since past summer’s trade.

“So, Mikal was portion of our club, not he’s not, truthful he’s the enemy,” Fernandez said. “But I person a batch of respect for him. Very bully player… Obviously this is simply a rivalry. We privation to bushed them the aforesaid mode they privation to bushed us. And each those rivalries are large for some clubs, large for basketball, but we person to bash it obviously, respectfully.”

The Nets volition big the Knicks again successful their play finale connected April 13. Until then, Tom Thibodeau’s squad volition proceed to evolve.

“[They’re] a squad that’s been businesslike astatine some ends, precise businesslike offensively, but they fertile higher,” Fernandez said. “But we each cognize astatine each position, they person size and physicality. So, handling their physicality is going to beryllium a situation for us, particularly disconnected the ball… They’re increasing similar each different NBA team, done experience, done playing together, and I tin spot it from the outside.”

TRADE DEADLINE INCHING CLOSER

The NBA commercialized deadline is connected Thursday, Feb. 6 astatine 3 p.m. ET. The Nets person already dealt Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to antithetic teams, and caller reports suggest that Cam Johnson could beryllium next.

Some accidental that nary 1 connected Brooklyn’s roster is safe. During this agelong of uncertainty, Fernandez said the enactment has continued to thin connected transparency.

“We’ve been unfastened with our connection if they person immoderate questions astir thing going on,” Fernandez said. “As you guys know, immoderate is said successful the media, it is what it is. Those are things that players cannot control. It’s portion of the business. We emotion our guys, and we privation them here. If thing changes and has to beryllium communicated, we will, similar we’ve done successful the past. We’ve been transparent and clear, and it’s worked precise good truthful far.”