Unsurprising inspiration turned Cam Thomas into elite scorer fans see

Milwaukee Bucks fans didn't have to wait long to find out about Cam Thomas. Consider 34 points in his second game here his formal introduction. Two games later, he poured in 27 points in 21 minutes. His newest supporters can't wait, either, to see the full version of Thomas unleashed, once he clears his minutes restriction. 

They won't be surprised to learn the inspiration that shaped his development as one of the game's purest scorers. In an appearance on the Hear District podcast with Bucks commentator Marques Johnson, Thomas revealed how he modeled his game after James Harden's as a high school student at Oak Hill Academy. 

"You know, when he was in Houston, he was killing. So my mom was like, 'Yo James, James is amazing.' And so I really started watching. I was like, how is he scoring 40, 50 every night, you know, making it look easy. … getting whatever he wanted, making the right plays.

So I really took the ISO, the one-on-one, ISO, ball handling, all that from James really. So he was definitely instrumental for me developing my one-on-one bag off the dribble, you know, getting downhill, finding guys."

Thomas' role model is no surprise to anyone who has watched him play

Harden peaked during his Houston days. He led the league in assists in 2016-17, then captured three straight scoring titles, along with an MVP, from 2017-18 through '19-20. Harden's final scoring crown coincided with Thomas's senior year of high school ball. His young pupil spent a year at LSU before being drafted by Brooklyn in 2021. 

Thomas, of course, took more from Harden's bag as a scorer than from his masterful passing. Even as an LSU freshman, he poured in over 23 points per game (versus just 1.4 assists). In his two prior Nets seasons, he averaged 22.9 points a night. As an NBA sophomore, in 2022-23, he etched himself into franchise lore by dropping three consecutive 40-bombs. 

Thomas has made modest strides as a playmaker, but his focus remains the same. As he introduced himself to his Bucks teammates, he's there to "get buckets." Neither fans nor opposing defenders doubt his abilities. 

Just watching him play, the influence of "The Beard" comes through clearly. Not only did Thomas draw inspiration from Rockets Harden, he was his teammate in Brooklyn. "You know, I got to know him a little bit. Love him," Thomas shared in the interview. His stepback beyond the arc is a callback to a favorite shot of Harden's. His extension and high release point are a mirror image of Harden's southpaw slingshot from the opposite side. 

Of course, their games aren't identical. Thomas makes up for being two inches shorter with a degree of lower-body elevation "The Beard" left behind long ago. That, Thomas said, is why even much larger defenders hardly ever block his shot. He also has not achieved the free-throw merchant mastery that became a core component of Harden's reputation; few sought out contact like prime Harden, who seven times led the league in attempts per game.

Still, Thomas can help the Bucks simply by getting to the line more than most of his teammates do (Ryan Rollins should take notes). Since his rookie season, Thomas has averaged 6.3 attempts per 36 minutes. This season, only Giannis is averaging more than that; Milwaukee ranks 29th in free throws per game. 

One thing of which no one could accuse vintage Harden, even as he piled up dimes, was not hunting his own shot. He led the league in triple tries per contest every season during his scoring title reign, and attempted a mind-scrambling 24.5 shots per game in 2019 (and that despite his charity-stripe parade). 

In a sixth-man capacity, Thomas is much the same. Per 36 minutes, he is attempting over 21 shots in seven games for the Bucks. That's what they brought him in to do: get buckets. They'll need him to summon in his inner Harden often as they continue their Play-In push.