Tristan Thompson A Better Sixth Man than Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas
By Eric Bauer
Lou Williams of the Toronto Raptors won Sixth Man of the Year, an honor that was previously conferred on two current Cavaliers, J.R. Smith two years ago and Mike Miller back in 2006. Like many Sixth Men of the Year, Williams is a scorer. He recently set the Raptors’ record for most points in a quarter, 21 in the fourth quarter on March 6 against the Cavaliers.
There is much debate about the efficacy of the award, about what metrics and analytics should be used when gauging who is most deserving of the Association’s best bench player. When LeBron James rebutted Kevin Love’s endorsement of Russell Westbrook as MVP, he said that a player’s total overall performance should be taken into account when assigning the award. The most important factor, however, is whether a team is wining or losing. “When I’m on the floor, you judge me by when I’m on the floor and do I win.”
When I’m on the floor, you judge me by when I’m on the floor and do I win.
The same should be considered not just for the Sixth Man of the Year award but for all end-of-the-season honors. Is that player helping a team win? Is he contributing to a team’s push into the postseason? Perhaps most importantly, is he complimentary to the pieces around him? This is where Lou Williams may actually fall short. Considering their roster, especially their injuries over the year, the Raptors have an impressive record, but they’ve fallen mightily from some prematurely lofty expectations at the beginning of the season when some had them pegged at finishing second or third in the East. (Remember, this was right around the time that the Cavs were 19-20 and Derrick Rose got hurt again.)
The Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas actually makes a better case. Since his trade in February, the C’s have actually had the East’s second best record, behind only the Cavaliers, and in true Sixth Man fashion, Thomas is a scorer in the vein of Williams, James Harden, even J.R. Smith and Mike Miller. As a writer who bleeds wine and gold, I’m not about to diminish the achievements of either of the latter. Still, I have to wonder if the media and others who voted on the award aren’t overlooking something crucial.
James Harden would’ve been a starter on any team other than the Thunder. The same is true for Manu Ginobli and the Spurs. J.R. Smith is a starter on a championship-or-bust team now, and Mike Miller was a starter back when Kevin Love was a rookie. Is that what a Sixth Man award should be? Look for a bench player who is actually a starter. What is Thomas doing coming off the bench when he’s actually the Celtics’ leading scorer?
This is the case for Tristan Thompson, an all around efficient player who actually compliments his teammates rather than detracts from them. He’s fifth in the league for offensive rebounds and is the only person in that group who comes off the bench. Those second-chance points are a big reason why scorers like Kyrie Irving and Smith have actually improved their efficiency this year.
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Thompson never detracts from his team. He contributes. He adds to the aspects of each player that actually makes them a better performer. In some ways, he plays the game very similarly to teammate and Rich Paul associate LeBron James, by doing whatever is necessary. Before the All Star Break, LeBron joked that he would come off the bench if necessary. If that were the case, we might see the first ever MVP and Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Tristan Thompson will never make the same impact. He doesn’t have to. He’s a true Sixth Man.
Should Tristan Thompson been given more attention for his role as the Cavs Sixth Man?