After essentially disappearing for nearly the entire 2017-2018 NBA season, Cleveland Cavaliers veteran center Tristan Thompson seems to be playing like his old self. His recent performance has been one of the biggest reasons why Cleveland was able to win Game 7 of the first round against the Indiana Pacers.
It’s also why the Cavs took Game 1 of the second round from the Toronto Raptors to begin the second round.
Is this just a flash in the pan, or has the Thompson of old returned?
It’s fair to say that the Pacers outplayed the Cavs in the first round. After all, LeBron James was the only player for Cleveland to reach 20 points in any of the seven games, and the Cavs were outscored in total 704-664. Victor Oladipo was unstoppable for a good portion of the series, and Bojan Bogdanovic shot 38% from three-point range, averaging 12.4 points per game. Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. struggled mightily against Thaddeus Young and Myles Turner. Lance Stephenson continued to be a nuisance.
The Pacers are a tough, physical team with big men who are athletic and who can space the floor. This leads to a poor matchup for Cleveland, as Kevin Love is not physical enough to beat Turner and Young inside, and is not left open on the perimeter.
Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue finally realized this, and took a risk by starting Thompson in Game 7.
Thompson had his worst season as a pro in 2017-2018, averaging a career low 20.2 minutes per game, along with a career low 5.8 points and just 6.6 rebounds per game. He played in 53 games and started only 22. During the first six games, Thompson had received just 23 minutes of playing time, and did not play at all in three of those contests.
There was certainly no guarantee Thompson would play well, and if he didn’t, it would have been a fatal blow to Cleveland’s chances at advancing.
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But Thompson rewarded his coach’s faith in him by playing nearly 35 minutes, scoring 15 points on 5-6 shooting, hitting 5-6 free throws, adding one block, one steal, and pulling in 10 rebounds, half of those on the offensive end. His one assist came off an offensive rebound after a Kyle Korver miss; Thompson pulled in the board, passed the ball back to Korver, and the Cavs added three points.
Thompson did not start against the Toronto Raptors in game 1, because Kevin Love has a better matchup against Jonas Valanciunas.
While Love had an off game offensively (3-13 from the floor, seven points), he pulled in 13 rebounds, and just the threat of his outside shot pulled Ibaka away from the rim, as his finished with just two rebounds and zero blocks.
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Thompson still played 26 minutes, scoring 14 points on 5-8 shooting, and he hit all four of his free-throw attempts. He added 12 rebounds, including an incredible nine offensive rebounds. Second-chance points were one of the only reasons why the Cavs were able to upset the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, and those second-chance opportunities were key in taking Game 1 from Toronto.
Everything is not right in the world, however. Yes, Tristan Thompson has played very well over the past two games, but that doesn’t discount everything that has happened up ’til now. He still struggles with bigger centers, as evidenced by Valanciunas’ 21 points and 21 rebounds.
Valanciunas has three inches and 20 pounds on Thompson. He is stronger, quicker, and has a more developed and refined offensive game. If the Cavs beat the Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers advance past the Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid will be extremely difficult for Cleveland to slow down.
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Thompson still can’t space the floor, which is vital in today’s NBA. He’s not going to develop an outside shot, so nothing can really be done, but it’s still an issue.
In the coming offseason, the Cavs need to fix their center position. Perhaps Ante Zizic will take a step forward and play more meaningful minutes next season. Maybe the Cavs look to free agency or the trade market to upgrade from Thompson; the Los Angeles Clippers Deandre Jordan and the Miami Heat’s Hassan Whiteside would both be great additions, provided the Cavs are able to acquire them.
The 2018 NBA Draft class is also stacked with big men. Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton, Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson III, and Texas’s Mohamed Bamba would all be able to contribute to the Cavs immediately and give the team a young star to build around for the future. Cleveland owns the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick, which is projected to be eighth overall, but the Cavs have pulled off crazier things in the draft lottery before.
But none of this matters right now. Tristan Thompson is vital for any hope the Cavs have at returning to the NBA Finals, and they desperately need him to continue performing well.