It’s great Cavs’ Tristan Thompson was named as candidate for East Player of Week

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson continues to impress throughout this 2019-20 season, and it was great to see that he was named as a candidate for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

One can’t help but be so appreciative for what big man Tristan Thompson has done throughout this 2019-20 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson has posted career-bests across the board this campaign, as he’s posted highs in points (13.0), rebounds (10.6), assists (2.2), minutes (31.9) and is tied for a career-high in steals per game, as noted by Basketball Reference.

Thompson has clearly gotten a whole lot better as a low-post option with a variety of moves to get to his hook shots, really with both hands, is showing much improved touch as a roller/diver and is still doing what he does best in terms of being a constant on both ends on the glass.

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Plus, he has still done a terrific on and off-ball as a screener for pieces such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman.

Anyway, yes, Thompson is in a contract season, but as I previously highlighted after Thompson played a huge role in the Cavs stealing a win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday in overtime, Cleveland always knows what they’re getting from TT, and I can’t blame the Cavs if they eventually hold on to the ever-steady TT through the February 6 NBA trade deadline.

Thompson has set the tone all season long for the Wine and Gold with his relentless style and unselfishness, and he’s undoubtedly the team’s leader on and off the floor, especially considering given recent reports, that it appears Kevin Love‘s days as a Cavalier could very well be coming to an end in the next few weeks.

Furthermore, it was great to see that Thompson’s play got some recognition, as TT was named as a candidate for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his outstanding play this past week.

Now Thompson was not the winner, which was Josh Richardson of the Philadelphia 76ers, who has been a key contributor on both ends all year for Philly, but as Basketball Insiders’ Spencer Davies demonstrated, Thompson’s had a whale of a week. Others nominated were no shock, with them being last season’s MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his fellow Milwaukee Bucks teammate, Khris Middleton, as Davies noted.

The ultimate high point of the week, and probably the season, for Thompson was his career night at Detroit in the Cavs’ second leg of a home-and-home with the Pistons.

TT, as indicated by Basketball Reference, had a career-high 35-point performance, and though Pistons big man Andre Drummond got his in that one, TT was huge down the stretch, made two free throws on the Cavs’ last possession of regulation, and came up big in overtime, along with Garland and Sexton.

For his display in that one, the Cleveland Cavaliers rightfully gave Thompson a celebratory shower in the visitors locker room, and I’m sure that’s a game Thompson and his good buddy, Kevin Love, will never forget.

Along with that, Thompson and the Cavaliers shocked the Denver Nuggets in Cleveland’s second game of their current six-game road trip on Saturday, and though Garland stole the show with 18 big points and tied a career-high with eight assists, TT again had a rock solid performance with 18 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and a block, as noted by ESPN.

No, Thompson did not receive the past week’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week, but it was great to see the ninth-year Cavalier get some recognition for his play that’s seemingly getting better and better as the year progresses.

Head coach John Beilein and the Wine and Gold will need yet another big-time performance from Thompson on Monday against likely LeBron James (who is listed as probable due to illness) and the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers. That’ll be regardless of if Anthony Davis can go or not, who is reportedly dealing with a gluteus maximus contusion.

Anyway, congrats on the nomination, TT!