The Brooklyn Nets attempted to re-ignite their struggling starting lineup before the new year, removing leading scorer Cam Thomas in favor of Dorian Finney-Smith. Head coach Jacque Vaughn's decision came amid a 2-6 stretch, during which the Nets had posted the NBA's third-worst defensive rating.

The change has had little impact on the team's struggles. Brooklyn has lost six of seven games since the move, raking 21st in defensive rating during that span. Meanwhile, Thomas endured an 0-for-18 shooting slump over a two-game stretch following the decision.

However, the third-year guard has snapped out of those struggles over his last three games. Thomas kept Brooklyn's offense afloat during an embarrassing offensive start to Thursday's 111-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Paris. He scored 10 of the team's 16 first-quarter points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field in the frame while all other Nets shot 2-of-13.

The 22-year-old finished with a team-high 26 points and two assists. Despite Brooklyn's putrid offensive start, Vaughn indicated Thomas will continue to come off the bench.

“For a while, we were starting him, but we were just pretty small, and it was tough for us to rebound,” the coach said postgame. “What I do see for him is he's a heck of a basketball player. My message to him was some nights you're gonna finish, some nights you're gonna start. Tonight, he didn't start, but he finished the game for us. I'm just gonna continue to coach him as a basketball player, whether it's sixth, seventh, eighth, starter. I appreciate what he does as a basketball player.”

Vaughn was forced to decide between Thomas and veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie in Brooklyn's starting lineup due to the duo's defensive shortcomings. Thomas and Dinwiddie have posted a horrendous 127.7 defensive rating during their minutes together this season.

He chose Dinwiddie, likely due to his passing ability. The 30-year-old leads the Nets in assists, averaging 6.3 per game. Meanwhile, Thomas has posted a 0.40 assist-to-usage ratio this season, ranking in the 0th percentile among combo guards, per Cleaning The Glass.

However, Dinwiddie has struggled to produce as of late amid questions about his future in Brooklyn, averaging 10.0 points and 4.9 assists on 34/29/74 shooting splits over his last 10 appearances. His struggles have coincided with an extended cold stretch for Mikal Bridges, putting a strain on the Nets' offense.

The Cavaliers exposed Brooklyn's lack of shot creation without Thomas on the floor by switching screens and DHOs early Thursday. Following the loss, Vaughn pointed to Thomas as one of the few Nets who could create offensive advantages in 1-on-1 matchups.

“The best play of the first half was Cam Thomas got the switch, drove Jarrett Allen to the basket, and three dudes collapsed. So his ability to break down a defender is huge for us. He swung it to the high quad and we end up getting a corner three,” Vaughn said. “Being able to replicate that over and over again, breaking down the defense, is a challenge for us because you do have to have the personnel to go by guys. Cam Thomas provided that for us in the first half.”

Despite Bridges and Dinwiddie's offensive struggles of late, the Nets coach appears convinced that Thomas' 1-on-1 abilities remain best served coming off the bench at this juncture.