Inside The Nets

Jacque Vaughn lauds Cam Thomas' maturity after his move to the bench

Cam Thomas has taken the move back to the bench in stride.

Marin Gabric

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Coach Jacque Vaughn moved Cameron Thomas back to the bench, citing issues with the team's slow starts. The Nets struggled because everyone needed the ball to succeed. By playing Dorian Finney-Smith in the starting lineup, the shot distribution and defense improved.

Cam admitted that he would prefer to be a starter, but he has no problem being a bench player. He knows it's what it takes to get wins, and it does not hurt that he can take as many shots as he likes coming off the bench.

"You see the maturity of Cam Thomas, the ability to accept that a move was made for the benefit of the team. He was completely on board with it, and I explained why it happened," Coach JV said before the game against the Trail Blazers. "I've seen more growth from him than ever before. My conversations with Cam are genuine and up-front, and I love having him because I've seen him from day one."

Cam is still adjusting to his new role

When he moved to the bench, Cam found it tough to adjust because he was used to building his rhythm from tip-off. He struggled mightily, especially with two games without a field goal against the Rockets and Pelicans.

He bounced back against the OKC Thunder, where he found his footing as a solid bench player. Thomas did play in the loss to the Trail Blazers, but he got hit with an elbow, which required him to return to the locker room.

There are some encouraging signs that Cam can thrive in this role, especially when he is paired with Dennis Smith Jr., who can cover up his defensive issues.

A path to starting again in the future

Coach Vaughn is committed to playing with DFS in the starting lineup, but with Ben Simmons' continued recovery, Cam has a path to becoming a starter again. The Aussie guard has missed two months with an injury, but when he returns, his playmaking and defense will be enough to help Cam return to the starting group.

In the meantime, Cam is not worried about his spot on the Nets. He takes everything in stride, and when he's called up, he'll go out there and keep shooting. Cam has shown he can thrive as a primary scorer as long he's allowed to shine as a starter or a bench player.

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Marin Gabric
MARIN GABRIC

Marin's love for writing developed in high school but was furthered in college when he took a number of creative writing courses. Doing sports writing felt like an extremely natural continuation, as it furthered his passions in both writing and basketball.  Marin loves the feeling of looking at stats after a game and analyzing what each team could've done better or what they excel in compared to the rest of the league. And the ability to do so for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets, is quite special in itself. 

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