What will Tristan Thompson Bring to the Cavaliers?

The Cavaliers have just signed center Tristan Thompson to a one year contract. His role may not be the same as the last time, but it doesn’t need it to be. Here’s a look at the 2023 version of Tristan Thompson and what he will bring to this Cleveland Cavaliers squad. 

Last time 

Taken with the fourth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson quickly established himself by making the 2011-12 All-Rookie team. He stayed in Cleveland for the next eight seasons where he averaged 9.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and an assist. 

Although never making an All-Star team, Thompson has some significant accomplishments with the wine and gold. Primarily functioning as the starting center for the 2016 championship run, he also had five games in which he grabbed 20 or more rebounds.

He also played every single game for four seasons straight. A streak only broken by a 78-game season. In other words, over the course of five seasons he missed a total of four games. This is a feat that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern day NBA. 

This time

Thompson certainly won’t be asked to fulfill the same duties as his last run, but he still has the chance to provide the Cavaliers with valuable minutes. With Jarrett Allen entering the season as the starting center, and Evan Mobley flourishing as Cleveland’s power forward, Thompson is likely to spend the majority of his time as the backup.

His numbers the last season he played (2021-22) aren’t great, but his 82 games were split across four different teams. Not many players are able to play effectively when they don’t have time to settle into their new teammates and team’s playstyle, so these performances aren’t entirely indicative of what he brings to the table.

And what he can bring are things that basically every great team needs to have in order to succeed: playoff experience, a good energy off the bench, and a veteran presence.

After leaving Cleveland Thompson didn’t see near the success he saw as a Cav. Being back on a contender with a significant role has the potential to give him a special kind of energy. In Cavalier terms, think back to Matthew Dellavedova on that 2016 championship team. Though he wasn’t the kind of player who’d be expected to have a big impact on the caliber of team that that squad was, you could see his impact in both his teammates and the crowd.

Because he played as though his life depended on it, his teammates were forced to match his hustle. The crowd loved it, growing louder and more intense as “Delly” threw himself all over the court. This kind of play can keep a team playing at full capacity for the entire game. This makes it invaluable to postseason success. 

Thompson also is now one of the few NBA vets on the team. Sharing that role with Ricky Rubio, he has the chance to be a real locker room leader with this team. Especially considering his postseason success, and the fact that it’s with the same franchise. 

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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com

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