Cavs: LeBron James leads the Cavaliers’ All-2010s Team

Cleveland Cavaliers All-2010s Team – C: Tristan Thompson

LeBron James may have been the best player on the four consecutive Finals teams, and Kyrie Irving their flashiest scorer, and Kevin Love their most talented big, but Tristan Thompson was the spiritual embodiment of who they wanted to be. He played hard every minute, did all the little things, and lit a fire on defense.

Thompson was drafted fourth overall int he 2011 NBA Draft, three picks after Kyrie Irving; the Cavs had traded for a pick from the LA Clippers that become first overall, and took Thompson with their personal draft pick. He became a full-time starter by his second year, averaging nearly a double-double each season, before taking a major backseat to Kevin Love and LeBron James once this team became a contender overnight.

Even with a reduced role Thompson still made a significant impact. While he came off the bench in the regular season he moved into the starting lineup when it mattered most, including starting all 21 games in the 2016 playoff run that led to a championship. He did the same the following year when the Cavs mowed through the Eastern Conference and lost to the juggernaut Warriors in the Finals.

No player totaled more seasons or games in the decade than Tristan Thompson, who suited up for 562 regular season games and 78 postseason games. He was efficient, he was versatile defensively, and his motor ran at 100 percent all the time. His postseason “Value Over Replacement Player” ranked third on the team behind just LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He was just a role player, but he was the quintessential role player for a team that need his contributions to find the success the achieved.