The Brooklyn Nets’ decision to bench Cam Thomas late last season after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving baffled fans. Thomas had just turned in a historic three-game scoring stretch, averaging 44.7 points per game on 56 percent shooting. Yet, with the team's new-look offense sputtering, head coach Jacque Vaughn refused to introduce him to the rotation.

Nets fans finally got their wish early this season with Thomas stepping into an expanded role, and Vaughn recently revealed why.

“If you look back at the history with Cam (Thomas) and I, I’ve always had extreme confidence in him, and that’s continuing to grow,” Vaughn said Friday. “He’s really shown some growth on the defensive end of the floor. So he’s being rewarded for being locked-in, engaged, being a great teammate on both sides of the basketball.”

“He is going to score the basketball, and he has the ability to get to the rim. He has the ability to engage the defense and spray that thing also. He’s just grown as an individual. I’m glad I’m coaching him. We will continue to grow together,” Vaughn continued.

Vaughn made it no secret last year that he felt Thomas needed to improve as a defender and playmaker, the two main criticisms of his game coming out of college. The 2021 first-round pick impressed in both areas this preseason, allowing him to open the season with a solidified rotation spot for the first time in his career.

Thomas has taken full advantage of the opportunity, becoming the first Net in the franchise’s NBA history to score 30-plus points in the team’s first two games of a season. The 22-year-old ranks third in the NBA in scoring at 33.0 points per game, trailing only Donovan Mitchell (35.0) and Luka Doncic (41.0). He nearly lifted Brooklyn to victory Friday at Dallas, draining a stepback jumper with 51 seconds remaining to tie the game.

Spencer Dinwiddie praised Thomas after the performance Friday, indicating his teammates recognize the importance of the third-year guard's shotmaking ability.

“Yeah, young guy (is) learning fast, learning on his feet. (He’s) got a ton of talent. Like I said before, he’s the best tough shotmaker that we have on this roster. And so it’s great to see him continue to blossom,” Dinwiddie said. “Of course. He’s proven that he can do it, and we’re going to continue to go to him when he’s making shots.”

Thomas has had no problem rising to the occasion when the Nets have called his number early in his career. He has played 25-plus minutes 40 times with Brooklyn. In those games, he is averaging 21.4 points on 49/38/87 shooting splits.

The young guard's elite offensive efficiency to start 2023-24 raises two new questions: How long can Vaughn keep him out of the starting lineup? And does the coach trust Thomas' defense enough to let him close games?

Thomas scored 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench during Brooklyn’s season-opener. He started the seventh game of his career against Dallas with Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton out, scoring 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting.

Johnson is a lock to return to the starting lineup once healthy after signing a four-year, $94.5 million contract this offseason. The same goes for Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton. Ben Simmons’ position in the starting five is complicated by spacing concerns alongside Claxton. However, Vaughn has given no indication he plans to move either player to the bench.

That leaves Dinwiddie, who is playing the same position as Thomas and presents the most logical candidate to move to the bench if the LSU product continues to impress.

Vaughn was also reluctant to leave Thomas on the floor down the stretch of Brooklyn’s first two games. He sat the LSU product for most of the fourth quarter vs. Cleveland despite the Nets’ offense struggling, choosing to bring him back with just three minutes remaining.

In Dallas, he brought Thomas back into the game with four minutes left. However, he proceeded to sub him out several times as part of an offense-defense strategy. This resulted in Thomas missing two crucial offensive possessions in the final two minutes, which resulted in a shot clock violation and a missed shot.

Thomas should start Monday at Charlotte with Claxton and Johnson out again. His place in that unit moving forward and his minutes down the stretch of close games will be two of Brooklyn's top storylines to follow in the coming weeks.