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Major Key Alert: The four-pronged key to the Big Three’s ultimate success

By Quenton S. Albertie

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May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) fights for position with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) fights for position with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Rebound

For the Cleveland Cavaliers to get the most shot opportunities possible, they’ll need to control the glass and rebound the ball. This shouldn’t be an issue at all.

In the starting lineup, the Cleveland Cavaliers have the best offensive rebounder in the league in Tristan Thompson. Thompson averaged 3.3 offensive rebounds and 9.0 total rebounds per game last season. This season, Thompson should have an increased role and play more than 27.7 minutes per game. Per 36 minutes, Thompson averaged 4.3 offensive rebounds and 11.7 total rebounds last year. Per 36 numbers aren’t an exact science but it’s a fair illustration of what to expect from Thompson if he sees more time on the floor. Love is also an exceptional rebounder and pulled down 9.9 rebounds per game last season. However, Love has averaged as many as 15.1 rebounds per season.

When looking at the teams that had the most field goal attempts, they also had some of the best rebounding numbers. For instance, the Boston Celtics were sixth in the league in total rebounds last year with 44.9 and led the league in field goal attempts with 89.2. The Oklahoma City Thunder were first in the league in total rebounds with 48.6 and seventh in the league in field goal attempts with 86.4. The correlation between rebounds and field goal attempts is there. If the Cavs want to feed all of the mouth (or hot hands) on their team the first step is to clean the glass.