Make no mistake about it: Tristan Thompson’s return to the Cleveland Cavaliers is a big deal. When he was a young player, he understood the importance of veterans in the locker room, and now as the elder statesman, it’s his responsibility to mentor, protect his contemporaries and produce when summoned.
“They’re the key to my growth,” Thompson answered to reporters in the locker room during his second season about his mentors, Anderson Varejão and Antawn Jamison. Going into the 2023-24 campaign, TT is one of nine Cavaliers to log more than 15,000 minutes in the regular season with the Wine and Gold.
I concur with Damian Lillard, who, on JJ Redick’s Old Man and The Three Podcast said, the lack of veterans in the league has created “a sense of entitlement.” It’s ironic that it’s coming from him, but the point still stands.
Kevin Love is not walking through that door. The Cavaliers needed another voice in the locker room who has been there, done that, and solidified himself as one of the organization’s greatest contributors. Thompson was the team’s starting center that reached four straight NBA Finals, winning in 2016 and last playoffs (2023), assisted the Los Angeles Lakers in a small role, averaging 5.3 minutes a night in six games.
The Cavaliers are set at center and power forward with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, but after them, the frontcourt is thin. Dean Wade is an outside big, Isaiah Mobley is a project, Damian Jones is an insurance policy, and Pete Nance is on an Exhibit 10 deal, a minimum salary with no compensation protection.
We’ll start with his efforts on the glass and team defense.
The man’s an expert on glass, and Thompson’s pursuit of extra possessions will likely get him the nod to play if Allen and/or Mobley is out, or if they get in foul trouble against proven opponents. All-time for the Wine and Gold, Thompson is second in total offensive rebounds and at 6-foot-9, 254 pounds, possesses a girthy body that delivers punishment each time he is boxes out. For his career, he recovers 17.6 percent of available rebounds.
As recently as the Lakers’ second-round series against the Golden State Warriors, Thompson defended well in drop coverage and double-teamed appropriately in his limited minutes.
He may be older than the frontcourt starters, but he’s stronger and wouldn’t get pushed around by New York’s Mitchell Robinson or as badly by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Thompson’s ability to protect the paint allows the big next to him to switch outside. This should allow him to be effective as well when the Cavaliers start mixing in zone coverages.
To be a successful defender, a player needs intelligence as much as his willingness to guard. Tristan Thompson has both, making him the type of player that can’t be exposed in certain coverages.
Additionally, Thompson has quick feet for a big and usually stays down when opponents try to pump fake. Smaller rivals on the perimeter sometimes struggle to gauge his 7-foot-1 reach, which causes misses or stops dribble penetration. Thompson should be able to harass weak ball handlers, assisting the Cleveland Cavaliers with forcing the opponent to play an outside-inside game, making the team’s paint protection look fiercer if less players are breaking inside.
Thompson getting moved to the perimeter on a switch could allow Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell to be hidden in the corners or on the other team’s least capable guard.
Thompson’s frame can shed a defender off the ball handler on a pick or dribble handoff, creating the opening for his teammate to hoist away or dive to the cup. He’ll be the most dangerous offensively shielding for DG and Spida because they usually beat the first defender and the second might stay with them if there’s no shot blocker behind them. This would leave TT rolling, waiting for the pass, and likely placing him in position to grab an offensive rebound if a teammate misses.
His strength should allow him to take advantage in the dunker spot, too, when Thompson’s man is overplaying a drive. If a mismatch is caught there, he should be looked to for the basket instantly.
Thompson at his best is an impactful player and a proven winner. Cleveland President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman said when signing Thompson that he “Embodies every trait we want as a part of our team culture…”
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a talented squad and have lots of expectations. Tristan Thompson is sure to be a difference-maker in 2023-2024 that helps the team maximize its full potential.