Cleveland Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson showing an aggressiveness offensively

Tristan Thompson is showing a newfound aggressiveness offensively through two preseason games. That is beneficial for Thompson and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers veteran center Tristan Thompson has historically been known for his rebounding, defense, and effort. Through two preseason games, Thompson has shown a newfound aggressiveness on the offensive end.

Thompson has never been a major threat on the offensive end and although he was a major key in the 2016 NBA championship run, it has somewhat limited his impact.

For his career, per Basketball-Reference, Thompson has never averaged more than 11.7 points per game nor has he averaged double-digit field goal attempts per game in a season. For his career, Thompson has averaged just 9.2 points per game and 7 field-goal attempts per game.

In the Cavs’ first preseason game, against an undermanned San Lorenzo, Thompson looked like the best player on the floor at times. He finished with a game-high 26 minutes, and a game-high 12 shot attempts.

The majority of his 12 shot attempts were not of the typical Thompson variety of finishing lobs and putbacks. Thompson was getting post touches, taking the San Lorenzo bigs off the dribble for a little eight-foot jump hook, and he even attempted two three-point attempts. Although he missed both, neither looked as bad as would be expected.

Thompson finished the first preseason game with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists according to ESPN.com.

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It was nice to see Thompson being aggressive and efficient in the first game. But it had to be taken with a grain of salt due to the competition level. Game two of the preseason would be a much better barometer however as they went up against the Detroit Pistons and one of the best centers in the NBA in Andre Drummond.

The Cavaliers led throughout this contest but fell apart down the stretch. They were outscored 31-15 in the fourth quarter and ended up losing 109-105. Thompson, however, was again aggressive and efficient.

Per ESPN.com, Thompson played a team-high 29 minutes, shot 7-of-11 from the floor, and finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds. He again did it in a bit of unusual (for Thompson) fashion. While he didn’t attempt any three-pointers, the Cavs still ran some offense through him. He again showed a soft touch with what could become a patented shot for him, the eight-foot jump hook.

Aggressiveness and efficiency by Thompson on the offensive end is going to be mutually beneficial for Thompson and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson is in the last year of his deal according to Spotrac so he will be looking for one more solid contract in his career. Expanding his offensive game will give him incredible value because he is one of the best offensive rebounders and on-ball defending big-men in the NBA. Expanding his offensive game, which has been rightfully so, a knock against him, will make him much more valuable to a contending team looking for a big man.

From the Cavaliers’ perspective, it opens up a lot of options for the franchise both in the immediate future and down the road.

While the Cavs don’t have the look, on paper, of a team that should be contending, no franchise likes to be in a rebuilding mode for long. Being competitive is the best option for teams as it means more fans in the seats and more money coming in. Thompson expanding his game will open up a lot of options for the offense as teams would have to key on him more instead of only worrying about him hitting the glass or rolling for a lob at the rim.

The Cavs could also elect to keep Thompson with the team for another contract if he continues to improve. Although he has played eight NBA seasons, he is only 28 years old, so he could fit with the Cavaliers timeline, and could be a veteran leader down the road.

Or the Cavs would have a more valuable trade chip than they already have in Thompson. It has been speculated since the summer of 2018 that Thompson could be moved to a contending team and the Cavs could bring back more assets if he shows a solid offensive game.

Whatever the Cavs decide to do regarding Tristan Thompson, he will go down as a beloved member of the Cavs organization and he will be remembered for how big of a piece as he was in the 2016 NBA championship run.