Whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers give Thomas Bryant an opportunity, he delivers.
Bryant has been thriving recently. He's averaging 8.5 points per game over the last six contests for Cleveland, up from his 5.2 PPG average for the season.
Bryant's career PPG happens to match that 8.5 figure. He's capable of flirting with double-figure scoring numbers whenever entrusted with rotation minutes.
The Cavaliers have every reason to keep giving Thomas Bryant minutes
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has lauded Bryant in the media this season, suggesting that Cleveland's front office deserves a pat on the back for acquiring Bryant.
Let's not forget that Bryant has NBA Finals experience, having played in the rotation for last year's Indiana Pacers.
Bryant is also an NBA champion. He was a member of the 2023 Denver Nuggets. Even though Bryant wasn't in Denver's rotation, he surely picked up plenty of basketball wisdom from Nikola Jokic during his stint there.
Bryant's dependability as a backup center is forcing the Cavaliers to consider giving him minutes during the upcoming playoffs. Will those minutes actually be available? It's hard to say, given that Cleveland has three other bigs ahead of Bryant on the depth chart in the form of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Nae'Qwan Tomlin.
At worst, Bryant represents premium insurance for Cleveland's frontcourt as the Cavs chase a title. If one of Atkinson's starting bigs goes down, Bryant will be ready to answer the call of an increased role.
Kenny Atkinson might want to give Thomas Bryant even more minutes
Cleveland might want to consider upping Bryant's minutes, anyway. Particularly against opponents that expose the Cavs' small wing problem, Bryant can give Atkinson minutes at the 4 alongside any of the other bigs, allowing a guy like Dean Wade to shift down to the 3 rather than operate as the second "big" defensively. In essence, more Bryant minutes make Cleveland a bigger basketball team.
Atkinson does appear to be appreciating Bryant's value more and more these days. Bryant only has two DNPs over the last 15 games (and none over the last 12), which is notable for a player who tallied 16 DNPs over the first 55 games.
When Bryant doesn't play much, the Cavs only have one big man capable of stretching the floor with 3-point range in Mobley. We know that James Harden thrives with floor spacing, and it's no accident that Bryant's minutes have increased slightly since the trade deadline.
Yes, this has had something to do with missed time for Mobley and Allen in different stretches, but even when both of these guys are healthy, Atkinson likes the luxury of having another stretch big in the rotation in Bryant.
Don't be shocked if Bryant ends up playing a key role in a playoff game for the Cavs next month. He's unafraid of the bright lights, and he knows how to add to winning at the highest level.