#1 Cameron Thomas – Guard – LSU
You can never have too many offensive threats and shooters in this league, which is why Cameron Thomas is a first-round prospect this year. Thomas only spent one year at LSU, but he was one of the best freshmen in the country this year, as he averaged 23.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and shot 40.6% from the floor, 32.5% from three-point range.
Cam Thomas is a straight up “bucket” and what I mean by that is this guy can really score against anyone. If you give Thomas the ball, he is going to find a way to score and he is instant offense, which is why the Grizzlies would be smart to draft him.
When you watch Thomas play, there is really no one key comparison that comes to mind, but he has a little bit of everything to his game. He has the athleticism and versatility of a player like Anfernee Simons, he has the pure scoring abilities and mid-range game for a guard like Lou Williams, and he also plays with that “green light” mentality like Malik Monk when he was coming out of Kentucky.
His ball-handling skills and decision-making with the ball in his hands needs to be worked on at the next level, but primarily being off-the-ball at shooting guard, he will not be tasked with having to bring the ball up the court and make plays every single possession. What this means though is that he will need to become more of a shooting threat, especially from three-point range.
In rotations with guys like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, as well as any other experienced NBA players the Lakers bring in, Cameron Thomas could not only become a three-point shooting threat, but he can be another threat that teams have to deal with given his gifted abilities to just go out there on the court and produce.
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Perhaps one of the best offensive players in this year’s draft, Cameron Thomas is a guy that can be counted on for instant offense at the NBA level, regardless of who is guarding him. At just 19-years-old and having the scoring abilities he has, Thomas is the perfect player the Lakers should draft with the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
