Tristan Thompson could be odd man out in Cavs center rotation
By Doug Patrick
Right now…
Sam Amico said,
"“It’s not hard for me to envision th[e] starting lineup for the Cavs in 2018-19: George Hill at point guard, J.R. Smith at shooting guard, Rodney Hood at small forward, Kevin Love at power forward and Tristan Thompson at center.”"
This seems logical. The pairing of Thompson and Love probably gives Cleveland the best chance for success on both sides of the ball.
Where Love can occasionally get bullied in the post or blown by on the perimeter, Thompson can cover for him and handle switches. Where Thompson can struggle to hold onto the ball down low, Love can attack defenses with his versatility. And both are great rebounders; Love shines on the defensive glass while Thompson is known on the offensive.
Larry Nance Jr.
But with Larry Nance Jr. on the roster, Thompson’s starting spot is hardly guaranteed for the whole season.
Two years younger than Thompson, Nance already does a lot of what Thompson does well. Nance was second to Thompson in offensive rebounds on the team (2.2 to 2.4) and actually led Thompson in total rebounds this past season (7 to 6.6).
Cleveland Cavaliers
Nance also has the athleticism to become a strong defender from the three to five positions. Last season in Cleveland, opponents scored nearly eight points less per 100 possessions when Nance was on the floor.
In the playoffs, he was less effective as a rebounder and made the Cavs’ offense much less potent. He averaged only 4.5 rebounds per game, and Cleveland scored about nine points more per 100 possessions with him on the bench.
As Cleveland’s games became more important, Thompson was the better player.
This season, the script could flip. At 25-years-old, Nance will only build upon his strengths on the glass and on defense. His offense may also improve.
Nance has the potential to develop into a midrange and even three-point threat.
Though nearly 60% of Nance’s 474 shots this past season were classified as “at the rim” per Basketball-Reference, Nance didn’t fare horribly when defenses let him shoot. He shot 35.7% on 42 attempts from 10-to-16 feet and, paradoxically, shot 41.5% on 65 attempts from 16-feet to the three-point arc.
Coach Lue has voiced enthusiasm over Nance’s jump shot. Following a win against the Pistons in March after a solid performance by Nance, Lue told Ohio.com:
"“I didn’t know he could shoot it. He never shot it in L.A. But coming here, just watching him shoot, he has 3-point range also, which I didn’t know. If he can continue to make that shot, it helps our offense out tremendously.”"
Nance’s better shooting from further away points to solid mechanics but a struggle to hit shots consistently in traffic. From the 16 feet to three-point range, he’s more often being “dared” to shoot while being closer naturally invites more hands in his face.
Next year, I’d bet on Nance taking more than 107 midrange shots. There’s no reason the Cavs shouldn’t give him every opportunity to solidify a promising jumper.
With a consistent midrange game, Nance would stretch the floor much better than Thompson could. Nance’s leaping ability would keep him a threat on the glass when bombing in from the key or even beyond the arc. There’s a chance he’s put in position for a boatload of put-back dunks.
Nance is also training to become a better playmaker. During a Summer League interview, he spoke about wanting to “grab a rebound… and bring it up the court myself and make decisions and make plays.”
If Nance could develop into an instant fastbreak threat, the Cavs could put tons of pressure on defenses to get back—don’t forget that Kevin Love can throw Hail Mary passes like Joe Montana or that Collin Sexton is called the Young Bull. In a perfect world, Nance would look like a version of Julius Randle or Blake Griffin.
This is something the alligator-armed Tristan Thompson has never looked capable of morphing into, especially after he’s fumbled another bounce pass while rolling to the basket.