Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin credited his long time friend Jacque Vaughn as a major part of why Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has been so successful this season (scored 45 points vs. Bucks during Monday’s 129-125 home loss/averaging 28.7 PPG).
(via Milwaukee Bucks):
Reporter: “Cam Thomas had another big night tonight. For him this season, what do you think has made him so explosive as a scorer this year? And how you guys tried to approach defending him coming in tonight?”
Griffin: “I think, one, he has the freedom. I’ve been knowing Jacque for a long, long time. We go way back in college when we were Five-Star counselors. I used to watch Jacque after hours in the gym by himself with a chair and go over his pick & rolls. I’ll always remember that about Jacque, he was just such a hard worker. But anyway, I think Jacque has done a great job of instilling a lot of confidence in them, especially Cam. Listening to Jacque on the sidelines telling Cam, ‘Just catch it and shoot it. Catch it and shoot it.’ When you have a coach like that behind you, it frees you up so you’re not worried about mistakes. And Cam is tough, man. He’s proven that he’s one of the best young guards coming up. Give him credit, man, he made some really, really tough shots.”