Initially, upon landing with the Milwaukee Bucks, Cam Thomas was given a clear runway to be a piece in the rotation. However, as the games have gone on, the guard has quickly started to lose his role, so much so that Gary Trent Jr. made his return to the rotation Saturday night. It remains to be seen whether Trent is here to stay or if it was a temporary change.
Thomas' struggles have Bucks rethinking rotation
After a blazing hot start with the Milwaukee Bucks, which included a 34-point outing, Thomas has not been impactful lately. Over his last seven performances, the guard is averaging 7.3 points per game while hitting just 28.6 percent of his shots. For whatever reason, his shots haven't been falling to the degree they were in the beginning, and it's hurt this bench unit.
With Thomas struggling, Doc Rivers clearly felt like it was time for a change. He called on Trent, who hasn't been a mainstay contributor for a long time, in Milwaukee's victory over the Utah Jazz, limiting Thomas to just six minutes. It was the first time he hadn't logged double-digit minutes in Milwaukee to date. Now, the question is whether that trend continues.
Bucks' bench rotation is far from set in stone
After the win over Utah, Rivers made it clear that it wasn't Thomas' night. He wanted to get a look at Trent. In the second half, he wanted to see what Pete Nance could do. Thomas' struggles have led to him throwing anything at the wall and seeing what sticks. A few weeks ago, Thomas felt like he was one of the biggest steals of buyout season. Now, he's barely in the rotation.
Despite the struggles, Rivers shouldn't give up on Thomas entirely. He's stuck in the mud now, but as with all bucket-getters, he can get back on the right track in an instant. If he sees a couple of shots go down, he could have another 30-plus point game. The type of scoring he provides doesn't grow on trees, and the Milwaukee Bucks need all the second-unit offense they can get.
Trent isn't a perfect replacement. While he, too, has the potential to get hot at any moment, he's been struggling for most of the season. The guard who was red-hot in the playoffs has been nowhere to be found. Nance can certainly help, but he's not a natural two guard. At some point, the Bucks will have to roll out guards to make lineups work.
The door hasn't officially closed on Cam Thomas, but the clock may be ticking.
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