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Tristan Thompson ranked No. 52 in SI’s list of the top 100 players

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 9: LeBron James #23 and Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shake hands before the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2017 NBA Finals on June 9, 2017 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 9: LeBron James #23 and Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shake hands before the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2017 NBA Finals on June 9, 2017 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers saw both Rose and Smith snubbed from SI’s rankings of the top 100 players, but to their surprise, Tristan Thompson broke the top 60.

Tristan Thompson has been a vital asset for the Cleveland Cavaliers since 2011. He has brought energy, duration, and tenacity to a team that, often times, lacks passion. That said, Thompson earned his spot as No. 52 in Sports Illustrated’s top 100 NBA players.

SI hit the nail on the head with their description of Thompson’s value. They put it this way:

"There are players in the league who make a show of their effort level. Thompson makes a job of it. All game long he works through second, third, and fourth actions, always toward some targeted purpose. There is no activity in his game merely for activity’s sake; Thompson (8.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.0 APG) both draws from an incomparable motor and uses it judiciously. That smart hustle wrings everything out from a functionally limited skill set."

Isaiah Thomas, LeBron James, and Kevin Love all are still waiting to find out their rankings. I assume Thomas and Love will crack the top 35 and James will come in at No. 1. Teammates J.R. Smith and Derrick Rose were on the list of players snubbed from the rankings. Rose and Smith can both make a case that they present more value than Thompson, who was at least ranked.

ESPN, alongside Sports Illustrated, is doing their own NBA rank. They released 76-100 today which did not include any Cavaliers but is still an interesting read. Seeing where ESPN rankings Thompson compared to how SI ranked him will be telling for how they rank his value.

Thompson’s value is all based on how you value a hustle player. Thompson, like SI said, has fundamental flaws. He has yet to develop a consistent and lethal post move. Being able to score in the low-post should be the first thing Thompson adds to his game. Along with improving his 49.8% free throw percentage, Thompson has several areas he can grow in before wanting another enormous contract like he is currently on. It is understandable to rank him low, but Thompson provides much more than is on paper.

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The Cavaliers value Thompson and apparently SI values him too. Now, all we are waiting for is to see if ESPN values him the same.

Tell us. Do you think Tristan Thompson deserves to be a top 60 player in the NBA?