As someone who has been arguing for Thomas to take over the starting PG role from Vasquez, this isn't really what I was expecting, or how I thought that world work.
When the Kings let Evans go, Thomas as the starting point guard started making more sense. He was now the second best player on the team, and I didn't think he'd be stealing shots from anyone in a major way. Westbrook and Durant play together. You can have two high FGA per game guys, but any more than that and you run into trouble.
The truth is, Thomas is likely a better offensive player than Rudy Gay, or at least he has been THIS year. I mean, Thomas is shooting an insane .403 this season from 3, which is a pretty massive improvement from past years. He's even getting to the FT line more than Gay. Across the board, Thomas has been better.
Someone is going to have to take a back seat. It doesn't necessarily have to be Thomas, but that seems more likely because Gay has a much longer track record of being 'that' guy.
So I have the same concerns as most of you. This team now has 3 guys averaging over 17 PPG in their starting lineup. Something is clearly going to have to give, and I just think Malone is smart enough to not allow it to be Cousins. He's the guy WE gave the max too. This is HIS team. I think he will still get his touches. Malone will make sure of it.
Thomas and Gay are going to be the guys who duke it out for shots, and if Gay can settle into a role that brings him closer to a more efficient 15 PPG guy who rebounds and blocks shots, and Thomas can settle into a similar 15 PPG guy with 6 AST ( only one more than he averages now ) ... The Kings will be better for it.