What Number Is Tristan Thompson on the Cavaliers

PAUL BEATY/Associated Press

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson endured a complicated first three years in the NBA.

The fourth overall pick of the 2011 NBA draft, Thompson has moved from reserve, to starter and now back to reserve again. He was asked to carry a portion of the offensive load for a rebuilding Cavs team, even though his specialty has always been rebounding and defense.

Oh, and the 6'9", 238-pound forward/center switched shooting hands in 2013, practically unheard of from an NBA player.

Now 23 and becoming more comfortable in the league, Thompson's taking a more simple approach to his game, one that's paying big dividends for the Cavaliers.

"For me, it's always see ball, get ball," Thompson told Bob Finnan of The News-Herald and The Morning Journal. "When I check in (the game, I want) the other guys on the other team say, '(Dang), he's here tonight.' That's my mentality."

Well-respected among teammates for his hard-hat attitude and personality, Thompson is playing a key role for the Cavs just by returning to who he is.

First Three Years

A somewhat surprising pick by the Cavaliers at No. 4, Thompson was projected by many to fall out of the top 10.

Thompson entered the draft after just one year with the Texas Longhorns where he averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. His energy was infectious, as Thompson made a name for himself with hustle and defense instead of raw skill.

Here's what a predraft scouting report said about Thompson, per DraftExpress.com's Kyle Nelson:

Thompson found nearly half of his offensive possessions by making athletic plays off of the ball: scrapping for offensive rebounds, cutting to the basket, and in transition, where (he) was an excellent finisher.

His ability to move without the ball, in particular, is promising to his early NBA prospects, as he will not likely have many plays run for him until he develops further. He is most effective cutting to the basket and finishing off of dump passes and lobs at this point. Texas rarely utilized him in the pick-and-roll, but he looked very solid in limited possessions where he showcased his quickness and mobility—something that could become a staple of his game in the NBA.

While Thompson certainly embodied these qualities, he also tried to take on more of a scoring role, certainly not his strong point.

Thompson's usage percentage his rookie season was 19.2 percent, compared to 17.9 percent this year. Although he came into the league at 6'9" and 227 pounds, Thompson was forced to spend time at center after an injury to Anderson Varejao his first season. He was taking 11.2 shots per 36 minutes despite shooting just 43.9 percent from the field.

Thompson's sophomore year brought a move to the starting lineup, and again an increased offensive responsibility. The Cavaliers had Kyrie Irving and rookie Dion Waiters to handle the ball but lacked a scoring option inside.

Ready or not, Thompson became this option.

His 11.7 points on 48.8 percent shooting from the field looked OK on paper, but his shooting range was extremely limited. According to 82games.com, over 21 percent of Thompson's offense came off dunks and tips alone. Rebounding became a staple of his game, as Thompson averaged 9.4 a night.

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

The next year was quite similar for Thompson from a statistical standpoint. He once again put up 11.7 points, this time on 47.7 percent shooting. This was after a shooting-hand switch from left to right, one that produced an underwhelming result.

While his rebounding was once again on point (9.2 a game), Thompson's defense suffered.

After collecting 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes as a rookie, Thompson fell to just 0.5 per 36 last season. He allowed opponents to register a healthy 17.6 PER, via 82games.com.

After three years, his offensive scouting report seemed on target, even though Cleveland needed more. The result was a poor defensive output, the area where Thompson was thought to excel the most.

Now in year four on a team that no longer requires his offensive services, Thompson is back to concentrating on his strengths.

Role, Defense with New Cavaliers

Although he spent the past two years as a starter, Thompson has moved to the bench following a summer trade for Kevin Love.

Even though he's set to hit restricted free agency next summer and could have used a starting gig to get a bigger payday, Thompson didn't even whisper a complaint about his demotion.

If anything, it might have helped him.

Thompson's role is now more aligned with his strengths. His "see ball, get ball" attitude keeps it simple on the glass. With LeBron James, Love and Irving, Thompson no longer has to create any offense for himself. Instead, he can feed off double-teams and cuts to the basket.

Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group pointed out Thompson's importance to the Cavs, even with a reduced role:

Thompson's hustle, energy, rebounding and young athletic legs will be important in keeping Love and Varejao's regular-season minutes down. Thompson doesn't need plays called for him to be successful either. He will benefit from the attention other players receive, getting open looks just by putting himself in the right spot.

Defense has become even more important for Thompson, with positive results thus far.

Since the Cavs are thin at center, Thompson has been forced to slide into this role next to Love on a regular basis. Although he usually gives up an inch or two, Thompson has performed quite well against opponents.

This season, when lining up at center, Thompson has a PER of 22.1 while holding opponents to a 17.5 PER, via 82games.com. This is a dramatic change from a year ago, where Thompson allowed a 22.1 PER to opposing centers while recording just a 15.8 PER himself.

He seems much more comfortable at the 5, a place where Thompson actually claims he carries an advantage despite his size, notes Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com:

I think playing the 5 is an advantage for me. I'm much quicker than a lot of the other centers in our league. So, I'll give them havoc and at the same time, I've got stronger over the summer where I can guard the 5's and body up against them.

And if you look at it, our league is changing. You don't really have the prototypical centers anymore – like the Shaqs, the Ewings, the Mutombos. Everyone's more mobile and athletic, so a 4 or 5 in this league isn't as big a difference.

Another nice sign for the Cavaliers is that Thompson appears to have rediscovered his shot-blocking game.

After averaging just 0.5 blocks per 36 minutes last season, Thompson is at 1.3 in the same time this year. He's recorded six blocks over the past four games, including a season-high three in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.

theScore @ theScore

Tristan Thompson just erased JaVale McGee's potential layup. Some kind of welcome. http://t.co/P3W5ehZ2u5 https://t.co/3TrK0Jf8hf

He's got all the physical tools to be an aggressive defender and shot-blocker with a 7'1" wingspan and 35-inch max vertical.

Finally, Thompson can focus his efforts on that end of the court.

Rebounding and Chemistry

Thompson has always excelled at cleaning the glass, but one had to wonder what his numbers would be when sharing the court with Love.

So far, so good.

Even with a reduction in minutes, Thompson has continued to be one of the game's best offensive rebounders. He's averaging 3.56 O-boards per game, sixth-best in the NBA and highest of any reserve. All of the top 10 are starters outside of Thompson.

This total puts him ahead of players like Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard. Thompson also leads the league in offensive rebound percentage at 17.5 percent.

The highlight of his carom-collecting prowess took place in an Oct. 31 114-108 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Time and time again, Thompson kept the team alive by providing second chances. He finished with 13 rebounds, 12 on the offensive end, to tie Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Varejao and Michael Cage for the franchise record. He also chipped in 16 points and a pair of blocks to boot.

Thompson's presence on the court has meant good things for the Cavaliers as a whole.

With Thompson in the game, Cleveland is collecting 36.9 percent of all available offensive rebounds. Without him, this number shrinks to 23.9 percent, via 82games.com. Overall, the Cavs' rebounding is 8.9 percent higher with Thompson on the court.

While the Cavaliers need time to mesh and learn coach David Blatt's offense, there should be plenty of rebounding opportunities for Thompson. So far, he's taken advantage.

Cleveland has the superstars, the flashy stat-stuffers who grab the headlines and most of the credit. This team, like all others, depend on players like Thompson to do the dirty work. Rebounding, hustling, diving for 50-50 balls and being a force on defense is exactly what the Cavaliers need from Thompson.

One other key factor for Thompson is how he's meshing with new teammates, especially James.

James and Thompson share the same agent, Rich Paul, and have enjoyed a friendship off the court for years.

On the court, the two seem to be clicking already.

Here's a breakdown of Thompson's stats this season with and without James on the court, averaged over 36 minutes of play, via NBA.com/Stats:

Thompson per 36 minutes	PTS	REB	OREB	STL	BLK
With James	14.2	9.9	6.0	1.0	1.4
Without James	12.3	8.5	3.7	0.5	1.1

Why is this significant?

Historically, being able to get along with and play next to James benefits one's future with the Cavaliers. With Thompson up for a contract extension this summer and sharing an agent with James, these are the kind of numbers Paul can point to when talking figures.

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For now, they bode well for the Cavaliers' on-court success. Thompson may not be the biggest name on the Cavs, or even start for that matter. He's returned to his role of rebounding, defending and blocking shots while showing the ability to play alongside James.

For the Cavaliers, that's all they can ask.

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bleacher Report since 2010. Connect with him on Twitter for more basketball news and conversation.

All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

What Number Is Tristan Thompson on the Cavaliers

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2272211-tristan-thompson-proving-crucial-to-cleveland-cavaliers-yet-again

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