Cleveland Cavaliers big Tristan Thompson is a player that’s carved out a nice career as a rebounder, screener and mostly plus defender, but he’s also been a non-shooter. At this point, him practicing corner three-point shots is not transferable to games and that should end.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team that is clearly now wanting optimal floor spacing in coming years, and as KJG contributors have often touched on, three-point shooting may be their first option offensively a bunch of the time.
Though new head coach John Beilein is on the older side at 66, it seems that he fully understands and will put a clear emphasis on three-point shooting, as that’s of utmost importance in today’s NBA, and for many teams, that means high volume.
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Often times, the Cavaliers, who were in the bottom ten when it comes to three-pointers made and attempted last year (per NBA.com), simply passed up open shots from beyond the arc, and settled for long and often more contested two-pointers, as again, KJG contributors have discussed.
Now, though, the Cavs should have Kevin Love hopefully active for more than 22 games, of which he was only in last year mostly due to reported toe surgery (per Basketball Reference), which should lead to them having more spacing.
That should bode well for young guards Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, and young wings Cedi Osman and Kevin Porter Jr., players that should have their share of pull-up three-point chances, and overall, Cleveland should have plenty of catch-and-shoot three-point threats that primary and secondary playmakers will be able to dish it to regularly if looks are relatively open.
In Beilein’s motion-oriented offense, that should be the case, too.
As a result shooters such as guards Jordan Clarkson and Matthew Dellavedova, wing Dylan Windler (who could miss live action up to five weeks still due to a reported lower leg injury, per the team) and others, such as big Larry Nance Jr., should have consistent open shots, and when it comes to Cleveland’s three rookies, especially, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be able to knock down triples more frequently than they did last season.
Garland (though it was only a five-game sample size due a reported meniscus tear), Windler and Porter all knocked in at least 40.6% from three-point land in their collegiate careers (per Sports Reference), and again, it’s clear that perimeter shooting will be a major focus for the Cavs’ offense in coming years for a bunch of players.
That does not mean everybody, however.
Bigs John Henson and Tristan Thompson, who could both provide Cleveland with a rolling, and in the case with Thompson, an excellent screening (both on and off-ball) presence, shouldn’t be shooting three-pointers.
Cleveland has better options to go to instead offensively, which could include post-ups, possibly hard cuts leading to interior shots or mid-range shots, if they are not heavily contested from other players.
It was the right mindset of the coaching staff and Thompson to have Thompson practicing corner three-point shots, as you can see was the case below, courtesy of Basketball Insiders’ Spencer Davies, but Thompson is entering his ninth season in the NBA (all with the Cavs), and in that time, he’s been mostly a non-shooting threat.
Darius Garland effect rubbing off on Tristan Thompson, who keeps putting up corner triples. #Cavs pic.twitter.com/jfSvf2bhvr
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) October 4, 2019
Thompson has shot the vast majority of his shots right near the rim, where he’s been decent, whereas he’s shot just 8.3% of his career attempts from 10-16 feet out, and from there, he’s connected on a less-than-stellar 35.6% (per Basketball Reference), and he’s attempted nine total triples, and has not connected on any of those.
Thompson is an effective player when healthy, with the way he can create space for others on and off the ball with his screening ability, and he’s always been to generate plenty of extra possessions for Cleveland with the way he’s tenacious on the offensive glass, as evidenced by an outstanding career offensive rebounding rate of 13.5%.
Those two attributes are no small thing, and combined with the way Thompson is at least still a high-level interior defender, I would think the Cleveland Cavaliers could get something of value fpr the expiring Thompson, such as a future draft pick or two combined with a bad contract player, but Thompson adding a corner three-point shot is simply not realistic this year, and I wouldn’t read much into him practicing those.
TT has carved out a solid NBA career thanks to grit and physicality, and if he can stay healthy, which hasn’t been the case the past two seasons unfortunately (he’s missed a combined 68 games in that span due to injury, per Basketball Reference), he’s still a very valuable player for teams looking to make a deep postseason run.
So again, Cleveland having players such as likely a key perimeter scorer in Darius Garland, who has missed time in training camp (per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor) and been limited due to reported foot soreness to this point but can still get shots up, makes sense.
Thompson practicing corner triples, though, is not something that’s likely to transfer over to games.
TT is still a solid contributor when healthy for the Cavs, and has proven to be one of the team’s primary leaders, but an occasional three-pointing threat? Come on.
Cleveland should pass on that one, as Thompson hasn’t been a shooter of any real volume in other areas in his career, and a lifetime free throw hit rate of just 61.0% should be further proof that TT is not and will not be a perimeter shooting threat.