Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 pluses in Cavs’ knock out of Philadelphia 76ers
Thompson continues to lead by example.
Thompson has been the Cavs’ most consistent player this season as he’s transformed into a double-double machine. Friday night’s game was another example of that as he finished with 18 points and eight offensive rebounds as he finished with an offensive rating of 135.7.
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The Cavs are a below average shooting team and must rely on second chance opportunities to compete. Cleveland did just that on Friday night as they finished with 11 more second chance points than Philadelphia. Thompson is a big reason why that was the case as he finished with eight offensive rebounds as the Cavs grabbed 39.1 percent of their missed shots, per ESPN.
While he’s not the most skilled player Thompson continues to be an embodiment of what the Cleveland Cavaliers need to do to be successful on offense. Cleveland played some of their best offensive basketball with Tristan because of what he provides on the offensive glass and how his screens can open up the offense for his teammates.