Following his poor performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson is not a happy camper when going back to it. Thompson was the first to call himself out for not contributing to his team’s cause, which led to their blowout loss last Thursday.
When asked to describe his dismal outing, where he only managed to tally four rebounds and two assists, the 26-year-old Canadian international admitted, via Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, that it’s “trash” as he knows he can play way better than that and hold his own inside the paint. Thompson will never be known as a scorer, but he understands that he can make a strong imprint with his energy, defense, and hustle.
“Trash. I have to be better.”
“I have to bring more energy, make it tough for them. I know they’re watching film, and something for them it’s to keep me off the glass. It’s going to be a wrestling match down there, and you have to keep it going and make it tough for them and just try to wear them out.”
Now in his sixth year in the league, Thompson is showing a lot of maturity and has the right mindset ahead of tonight’s Game 2. Instead of pinning the blame on his teammates or the officiating, he takes full responsibility for his poor play and looks forward to the challenge of bouncing back strong.
Should he be able to play to his full ability, it would be a huge boost to the Cavs, who are looking to take home-court advantage when they return to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4. Winning inside Oracle Arena is no easy task by all means, but if there is a team who knows best how to pull the rug under the Warriors on their home floor, it’s definitely the defending champion Cavaliers.