Cam Thomas went through a five-on-five workout for the Nets on Saturday and experienced no setbacks, writes the New York Post’s Brian Lewis (via Twitter).
A hamstring injury has limited Thomas to just eight games this season. He hasn’t played since November 5, when he left the game after playing just 5:35. In the seven games before that, he averaged 24.4 points and 2.9 assists on .408/.356/.875 shooting splits, including a 41-point performance in a loss to the Spurs.
Lewis notes that, according to head coach Jordi Fernandez, there is still no specific return date set for Thomas, but that this practice step was a significant hurdle for Thomas to clear.
The Nets entered Sunday’s game against the Raptors with a 7-19 record, the third-worst mark in the Eastern Conference.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Drake Powell left the Nets‘ loss to the Heat on Thursday after playing just 3:56 due to a right ankle injury. This marks the third right ankle injury Powell has suffered this season, but Fernandez says he’s not overly concerned, according to Lewis (Twitter link). “Not concerned, and he’ll be back soon,” Fernandez said about last year’s 22nd-overall pick. Powell has played 19 games for the Nets this season, averaging 6.0 points in 17.7 minutes per game while shooting 37.8% from three and hitting 20 of his 21 free throw attempts.
- Hugo Gonzalez has emerged as a bright spot in the Celtics‘ wing rotation and is proving himself one of the steals of the 2025 Draft, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Gonzalez posted his first double-double in a win on Saturday against the Raptors and was only limited by foul trouble. Head coach Joe Mazzulla was impressed by the young Spaniard’s performance and didn’t mind that he’s occasionally somewhat reckless. “[He’s] finding the balance of knowing how to be super aggressive versus defending without fouling so we can keep you on the floor,” Mazzulla said. “You don’t want to take that away because of his instincts and ability to make plays on both ends. He has a great knack for the ball defensively and he’s learning how to play against different matchups and coverages on the offensive end.”
- Sandro Mamukelashvili has gone from career journeyman to key contributor for the Raptors, who entered Sunday with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, writes Michael Grange for Sportsnet. “My main focus was [always] like, ‘just come in there and beat the odds and prove everybody that I can actually stay in this league,’” he said. Grange notes that the two-year, $5.5MM deal that Mamukelashvili signed this summer created the most stable situation he has experienced during his time in the league. The versatile big man has responded by posting career highs in points and assists while shooting 39.8% from three on 3.1 attempts per game. He has been an important part of the Raptors’ season as starting center Jakob Poeltl has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries. That trend continued on Sunday’s game against the Nets, as Poeltl exited early with back stiffness.