2 realistic expectations for Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson signing
By Dan Gilinsky
No. 2: Thompson provides Cleveland with playable depth for spurts
Nobody should be expecting Thompson to have a litony of double-doubles with Cleveland in the 2023-24 season. He’ll be turning 33 next March, and did not play in the 2022-23 regular season, before he played sparingly for the Lakers in the 2023 Playoffs, when he played 32 total minutes over the course of three rounds.
Thompson can still give the Cavs some meaningful minutes as a rotational big, though.
He is not going to be the energy player he was in the LeBron Return days, but Thompson can still rebound at a high level at both ends of the floor, give the Cavaliers physicality on the interior, and he’s an underrated passing big.
Thompson is not the athlete at this juncture Damian Jones is vertically, and Jones is more of a rim protecting presence defensively, however, Thompson may eventually prove to be a better option for rotational stretches, given his veteran experience and rebounding proficiency.
To reiterate, while Thompson is probably going to have a big role from here with Cleveland, he can still give the Cavaliers a boost at times on the glass, and his on and off-floor leadership can be impactful for this group.
Next. The dream starting 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers 5 years from now. dark
Thompson is third in Cavaliers history in total rebounds, sixth in total blocks and seventh in games played with the team. It’ll be fun to see Double T back in a Cavs uniform pretty soon.