Cleveland Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson will average a double-double

Today, Tristan Thompson is a crucial contributor to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ rebounding numbers and he gets to the free throw line often from his hustle, but with how he struggles to convert his foul shots, he isn’t able to maximize his effort enough.

Coming off a freshman year in which he averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and an NCAA-leading 2.4 blocks, Tristan Thompson was seen as an intriguing prospect in the 2011 NBA Draft for his ability to crash the glass and also get to the free throw line. It’s safe to say Thompson will have a stellar rebounding season, and with the talent losses the Cleveland Cavaliers had last season and in the offseason, multiple players will have to step up this year.

Thompson, who will split starts with Larry Nance Jr. at center this season, turns 28 in March, and could begin to enter his prime as soon as this season and we could see it with a boost in his performance.

So that got me thinking: is year eight the year he finally averages a double-double?

A career stat line of 9.0 points and 8.4 rebounds suggest that he could’ve done it in one of his first seven seasons. However, that hasn’t been the case throughout his NBA career thus far.

He’s never averaged ten rebounds a game–his closest effort was in the 2013-14 season where he grabbed 9.4 a game. But, this year -a year with a new path for the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers- could see him put up those numbers.

Seemingly effortless, Thompson can tenaciously rebound in pursuit; it’s why he ranked 17th in offensive rebounds per 36 minutes a season ago, per Second Spectrum (with a minimum of 15 games played). However, the rebounding has never been the question; it’s something else: his ability to put the ball in the bucket.

As someone who’s almost useless when it comes to scoring outside of the paint, Thompson isn’t anything close to an offensive threat, allowing his opponents to sag off and help on other Cleveland Cavaliers’ players.

If he can improve that jump shot, he could very well be a threat from outside the paint this year. Moreover, if he can work towards getting to the free throw line multiple lines on a nightly basis (and improve on the paltry 54.4 percent free throw hit rate that he finished the season with last year), then he’s in business.

All things considered, we could see him perform at a career best this year, and that’s something head coach Tyronn Lue and the city of Cleveland would be excited about.