Tristan Thompson Will Continue to Prove His Worth

Tristan Thompson signed a hefty contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers last off season, and proved to be worth every penny. He will continue to prove his worth with the Cavaliers.

Tristan Thompson‘s status for the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign was unclear after he and his agent Rich Paul decided not to accept his one-year, $6.8 million qualifying offer, which made him a restricted free-agent ready for a contract negotiation.

A contract negotiation is exactly what he got. Thompson was seeking a max-deal worth $95 million over five seasons, while the Cavaliers were offering him a contract worth $80 million.

The stalemate lasted until October 22nd, five days before the first game of the season, where the two sides agreed to a five-year, $82 million contract, making the Canadian big-man the sixth highest-paid power forward in the association, according to ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst.

At first $82 million seemed absurd for a big-man who does nothing more than grab offensive rebounds, but as the 2015-16 season wore on, Thompson proved he has more to his game.

As aforementioned, Thompson is one of the best players in the association on the offensive glass. Last season Thompson ranked behind only Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, hauling down 268 offensive rebounds, which comes out to an average of 3.3 per game.

Thompson’s work on the offensive boards gives the Cavaliers more looks on offense, which ultimately leads to more points on the scoreboard, and is a big reason they were able to defeat the Golden State Warriors and win the 2016 NBA championship.

One facet of Thompson’s game that has gone overlooked is his reliability. Since being drafted in 2011, Thompson has missed a total of 22 regular season contests. He has appeared in all 82 games for four consecutive seasons, and became the league leader in most consecutive games after DeAndre Jordan sat out of what would have been his 360th game for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Being able to stay healthy allowed Thompson to play at a high-rate during the NBA Finals, where he was often switched on to reigning unanimous MVP Stephen Curry. His ability to guard Curry in the open floor made him worth every penny of his $82 million contract.

We had seen Thompson hold his own against opposing point guards in the past, but none to this magnitude. His excellent footwork and length made it difficult for Curry to get shots off over him.

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A combination of Thompson’s relentless work on the offensive glass, reliability, and his defensive footwork made it clear he was worth the deal he had signed before the season.

Thompson should be able to continue his impressive play, as his role was limited last season playing behind then-starting center Timofey Mozgov for 48 games before cracking the starting lineup on a consistent basis.

Now, Thompson will be sharing time at the center position with Chris Andersen, whom the Cavaliers signed earlier in the off season after Mozgov joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Andersen will provide a much similar presence than Mozgov, and will be a perfect shot-blocking backup to Thompson moving forward.

Tristan Thompson’s five-year, $82 million contract may have been confusing at first, but he has proven his worth with the Cleveland Cavaliers by being a reliable offensive rebounder who can step to the perimeter and guard the opposing point guard. He continue to prove his worth for the Cavaliers.