Tristan Thompson provides certainty on an uncertain team

Tristan Thompson is set to break Jim Chones’ long-standing Cleveland Cavalier record for consecutive games played and the former Texas Longhorn gives the Cavs something they lack; certainty.

The Cavaliers have been unpredictable, unreliable and uncertain this season, both on the court and off it.

Thompson has been all of those things, excluding the ‘un’.

One night Cleveland looks like world-beaters and the next they will be sleepwalking their way to a loss to the woeful Brooklyn Nets. One day, LeBron James will be posting team photos on instagram and the next he will tweeting cryptic messages to his teammates.

With a new set of dramas surrounding the team on a daily basis, Thompson has been the only certain on a game-to-game basis. So much so, that Thompson will break Chones’ franchise record for most consecutive games on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets, with 362.

“It’s an honor and a blessing,” Thompson said of the record, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I have to give a lot of credit to the medical team and myself taking care of my body. There’s a lot of people I’ve got to be thankful for to get this far. It’s definitely an honor and it makes me proud that the guy I’m passing is another big and a Cavalier big.”

It isn’t just that Thompson is in the line-up every single night. It’s the fact that Thompson affects the game every night as well, with his offensive rebounding and defensive versatility.

While Thompson isn’t your traditional 82-million dollar man, he is an 82-million dollar man for this Cavalier team. There is a reason his name is all over the Cavs best line-ups via net rating (with a minimum on 20 minutes played together.)

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Sure, his scoring is down from last season (7.9 to 8.5) but that doesn’t matter. He isn’t on the court to score, that’s what James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith are there to do and Thompson acknowledges that, via McMenamin.

“You always want to get better, but if you look at our team we’ve got so many guys who can shoot. We’ve got Kyrie [Irving], Bron [LeBron James], [Kevin] Love, J.R. [Smith], those guys are going to get their shots and make their shots. For me I’m not worried about the stats … It’s how you impact the game. I do things where maybe an offensive rebound helps us win the game. It’s more than how many points you score a game. If you look at guys on teams that aren’t winning, guys are averaging 10 and 7 but they’re going home in April. I’m happy where I’m at. Obviously I want to keep getting better every year, but I have to do whatever it takes for our team to be successful.”

That doesn’t mean Thompson is a complete vulnerability on the offensive end though. In fact, he is anything but. His an adequate screen-setter and finisher around the rim, especially on alley-oop dunks, where he and Matthew Dellavedova have developed the most unlikely of pairings. The offensive rebounding Thompson provides though is where he really shines on that end of the court.

Thompson’s offensive rebounding expertise has reached game-changing levels. Thompson grabs an offensive rebound when surrounded by four opposition players seemingly every time down the court, that it’s almost became an expectation of him.

A passage of play from the Cavs recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks truly epitomized what Thompson is all about. With the Cavaliers holding onto a six-point lead late in the final quarter, Smith missed a three-pointer. Thompson grabbed the offensive rebound. James then missed a dunk but Thompson, again, cleaned the offensive glass. On the third miss, an Irving three-point that rimmed out, Thompson had seen enough, laying it in himself after another offensive rebound.

One play, three offensive rebounds at a clutch moment. That’s where Thompson makes his money.

Thompson is currently averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, seventh in the league. 2.3 of those rebounds are contested, which is the 13^th best mark in the NBA and he pulls down 69.8% of his available contested offensive rebounds.

Along with his elite offensive rebounding numbers, Thompson provides the Cavaliers with a versatile defender, something that is lacking in the teams big men ranks.

At 6’9, Thompson is ‘undersized’ as a power forward/center but he makes up for it with his defensive IQ and his quick feet. Thompson has the capability to switch on a pick and roll, as he is fast enough to stay in front of most point guards across the league.

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This isn’t the only skill Thompson has on the defensive end. He is strong enough to guard some of the best post players in the league, even with his smallish frame. He contains guards who try to get downhill on him and he is smart and quick enough to trap the ball handler and then hurry back to his man, cutting off passing and driving lanes in the process.

So, as he closes in on setting the record, how long does Thompson plan to keep the streak going for? “As long as I can,” Thompson said, via McMenamin.

For the Cavaliers, they should be thankful for this mindset Thompson has. For a team that has been plagued by questions this season (and really ever since he entered the league), Thompson has given them a reassuring and comfortable answer for 362 games, with plenty more to come.