3 Cavs players you could make case for for team MVP if season ended today
By Dan Gilinsky
Making the 2019-20 team MVP case for Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson, leading up to 2020 the trade deadline, especially, was in the midst of a career season for the Wine and Gold in his ninth year with the club.
In the 2019-20 season thus far at this time with the NBA season suspended, Thompson has averaged a career-high in points with 12.0 per game, per Basketball Reference, and he’s proven to be a much more polished post threat and has had really good touch on hooks with both hands throughout this year.
Along with that, TT has continued to gobble up rebounds in a big way for the Cavaliers, as he’s averaged 10.1 per game, and has averaged what are on track to be a career-best in assists with 2.1 per game, too. Furthermore, Thompson is third in the NBA this season in total offensive rebounds, according to Basketball Reference, of which Cavs’ trade deadline addition Andre Drummond leads the category.
This season, though, Thompson, whether it has been a contract season or not, would be a heck of a last hurrah with the Cavs if that is going to be the case. Thompson has done a tremendous job as a leader, too, and has helped out young guys such as Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and others in a huge way, which has been invaluable, really.
More. TT had quite a last hurrah with Cavs if this is near-end. light
That’s even despite the Cavaliers having their share of turmoil this season in relation to the club’s previous head coach John Beilein, who was an awful fit in that role and stepped down during the All-Star break and has since been re-assigned to an unspecified role within the organization, and anyhow, Thompson’s clearly been one of the Cavs’ best players this season. His play throughout the year leads me to believe you could make the case for him being team MVP if the season ended today.
The effort he’s shown and the production Thompson has had when he’s been able to go for the Cavs this season, even since being moved to a bench role, has been terrific.
TT has done really good work as an interior defender, too, and has taken on individual challenges defensively against LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and others and has done as well as one could have asked.
That sort of willingness to take on superstars has been incredible to see from TT, and though it’s reportedly likely that the expiring Thompson eventually plays elsewhere next season, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Wine and Gold will miss him on and off floor, if he does end up in a new spot.
Moving on, the next Cavs player you could make an MVP case for for 2019-20 if the season ended today is another key vet.