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Tristan Thompson

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"TT changed his shooting hand so he deserved to start!" That is just so stupid. You're talking NBA here folks. The best of the best. I don't care if he can shoot with his foot. If that jump shot is not respected by the opponent and he's not pulling the trigger, then him changing his shooting hand is worthless.

Technically, it's not useless because he still drastically improved his free throw shooting.
 
TT is so mechanical and unnatural, his ceiling is ultimately vastly limited compared to Bennett. TT should be commended for his improvement thus far, but in terms of development, what you see now is what we're probably always gonna get from TT and that's being a 3rd big....

holy shitballs
 
This isnt aimed at you... but for the love of flying shit, can we take the emotional attachment OUT of assessing this collection of young assets. I dont even want to say team yet because I dont think we really have one OR should consider the core assembled yet.

We have to be the MOST emotionally attached tormented/championship deprived sports area in history. I'm only 30 years old, and the last championships I remember were the Columbus Quest of the ABL back when I first got to High School and that Ohio State over Miami National Championship game (have it on DVD) right after I graduated.

Do you know how I felt the DAY after winning those championships?

I would have traded ANY player on those Quest teams without thinking twice if it meant another championship the next year. I loved Nikki McCray's sexy ass. She was my boo thing, but I would have traded her quicker than we just fired Rob Chudzinski. Just would have had to visit her in her new city for our hookups (shrugs)

Loved Doss but was happy as hell that he was graduating knowing he was a main reason Kellen Winslow dominated us in that title game and we were not scaring anyone with out secondary, wish Gamble had not been drafted or looked at like a great pro prospect and had to come back to school and helped us repeat. Had no emotional attachment what so ever the minute the season ended, was ready to do whatever it took and get restructure rosters however necessary to get a ring the next year.

Championships. Thats what I want. To hell with investing in the emotional narratives from here on out. Means to an end, championship production between the lines with the lights on. Whatever it takes to get it, thats what I want.

I agree fully, dogg.

and I came in this thread to say one thing -- I'm 100% OK with the Zeller/TT combo and the AV/Bennett combo. I think TT could eventually be the "new" AV. But for now, he's got work to do. Particularly, he needs to be more assertive with taking open shots. If he just does that... sky's the limit.

whatever that has to be done to develop our young players. I know this ain't the thread for it but I really am glad Bynum-gate went down so we can move on with the tough decisions.
 
Maybe I am too attached to him. I want all of the players to succeed as I'm sure everyone else does. When Thompson hits a jumper I literally jump out of my seat. But you guys are right, he doesn't shoot them enough to be considered a threat by the opposing team, and until he starts hoisting them when he's open then he's not really doing much to help with floor spacing.
 
I don't care who starts, I just know which posts fit together.

Pick a pair:
Tristan/Zeller
Bennett/Varejao
Zeller/Varejao
Bennett/Tristan

Our two best bigs right now are Tristan and Andy, so obviously they'll have to play together at times, but we should limit it. You can go offense/defense for subs down the stretch working in either Bennett or Zeller for Varejao or Thompson depending on the hot hands that night.
 
I don't care who starts, I just know which posts fit together.

Pick a pair:
Tristan/Zeller
Bennett/Varejao
Zeller/Varejao
Bennett/Tristan

Our two best bigs right now are Tristan and Andy, so obviously they'll have to play together at times, but we should limit it. You can go offense/defense for subs down the stretch working in either Bennett or Zeller for Varejao or Thompson depending on the hot hands that night.

I agree Tristan and Andy are our best bigs, I think ideally both of them are best suited as first big off bench though.

So if we have ANY big who could develop into a game changing dominant starting big that has to be game planned for, I think the priority should be lets develop him before we spend money this offsesason.

That big is Anthony Bennett. And he looks best next to Andy where they would compliment each other best.
 
I still think Andy's impact on games is night and day different when he comes off the bench as opposed to starting, especially as long as Dion still isn't starting.

I have absolutely no problem with the idea of starting Tristan and Bennett together. Let's see if they can coexist. I think a lot of people would be surprised to find out that if Bennett gets the stick out of his ass, that could be a pretty fun front court. Seriously doubt it ever happens though.

With Bynum gone, Andy's due for an injury if he doesn't get traded first. That means Zeller would start (unless my above vision was realized by Mike), and then Tristan/Zeller, in that scenario is a fine starting front line.

If Bennett were to start dominating teams off the bench, which I'm on record as saying I don't see happening consistently this year, then the team would get him into the starting lineup one way or another. Tristan may be taken out, Bennett may start at the 3, etc. If Bennett shows a consistent, dynamic ability to change games *on both ends*, he'll start. I'd be shocked if he didn't under those contexts.

Lloyd has written that with Bynum gone, Zeller and Bennett are due to play quite a few more minutes. He also wrote that part of Bynum's issue was allegedly that Zeller was going to get more minutes anyway. I'm of the opinion that this shows Mike's recognition that he has plenty of bigs who all have a better running mate than who he was putting them out there with. Bynum starting and Bennett sucking kind of handcuffed him there.

I think we're going to see quite a bit of Tristan/Zeller and hopefully Bennett/Varejao as games progress. I didn't see the game yesterday, but Tristan usually plays the entire first quarter and sometimes even into the second quarter. Bynum/Varejao is usually subbed out by then, so Tristan/Zeller should be seen for at least 10 minutes a game already.

Then, eventually, Bennett gets subbed for Tristan (since Clark is starting), and Varejao comes back in usually a few minutes before Tristan does. If Bennett is playing well, he usually plays until he physically can't anymore. By default, under those circumstances, we will see Bennett/Varejao for 6-10 minutes a game.

I understand we'd like those combos to be out there more, but if they work, I'm sure they will be.
 
Tristan is better than you say. He is really good and is on a star trajectory. It has been said over and over that he is at best a bench big. "He will never have a jumpshot" and now his jump shot will never get better or be reliable. This guy is special, he switched hands! When you say he looks mechanical, I agree. He is like a child who is getting more and more coordinated. He is turning into a real post threat.

Saying he will not be a star, ok. Saying this guy is at best a bench big is ludicrous. He is going to get better every year of his career tho, and I think he has way more upside than you guys think. He has proven Rchfld wrong repeatedly, and yet still can't get any respect. I personally don't think he is anywhere near his ceiling. You can't bench him until Bennett starts shooting well. Starting Zeller over AV makes more sense. AV can play with anybody.

Is anyone really watching him? Guys pass out of the post when he is on them, and he has personally sent us to overtime twice recently with his ELITE off rebounding.
 
Tristan is better than you say. He is really good and is on a star trajectory. It has been said over and over that he is at best a bench big. "He will never have a jumpshot" and now his jump shot will never get better or be reliable. This guy is special, he switched hands! When you say he looks mechanical, I agree. He is like a child who is getting more and more coordinated. He is turning into a real post threat.

Saying he will not be a star, ok. Saying this guy is at best a bench big is ludicrous. He is going to get better every year of his career tho, and I think he has way more upside than you guys think. He has proven Rchfld wrong repeatedly, and yet still can't get any respect. I personally don't think he is anywhere near his ceiling. You can't bench him until Bennett starts shooting well. Starting Zeller over AV makes more sense. AV can play with anybody.

Is anyone really watching him? Guys pass out of the post when he is on them, and he has personally sent us to overtime twice recently with his ELITE off rebounding.

So far from reality this doesnt even warrant a real response.
 
So far from reality this doesnt even warrant a real response.

You are pretty dedicated to your chicken little routines. Sorry if you don't carry the same clout with me. I have a great memory ad know all about your TT predictions as well as others that have been totally of base.
 
You are pretty dedicated to your chicken little routines. Sorry if you don't carry the same clout with me. I have a great memory ad know all about your TT predictions as well as others that have been totally of base.
his projections have been a lot more accurate than your supposed claim that he is on a "star trajectory."

edit: also, his probable status as a bench big has a lot to do with his style of play as well. it is neither common nor easy to build a quality starting lineup including an offensively challenged pf.

in any case, as suggested earlier the cavs should really try to have better structure going forward re: their front lineups and fit.
 
his projections have been a lot more accurate than your supposed claim that he is on a "star trajectory."

edit: also, his probable status as a bench big has a lot to do with his style of play as well. it is neither common nor easy to build a quality starting lineup including an offensively challenged pf.

in any case, as suggested earlier the cavs should really try to have better structure going forward re: their front lineups and fit.

Consider he has shown he can shoot 5-19 feet as well as any other starting pf in the league....... was this in his "projection"
 
Consider he has shown he can shoot 5-19 feet as well as any other starting pf in the league....... was this in his "projection"

This simply is not true. I was going to let you and Cavatt hold hands and skip away in your make believe land of Tristan Rainbows, but this is so far removed from reality that I just dropped my fork and lost my appetite.

No dinner for me tonight if you really believe this Tornicade.

Have you been watching games? Are you really saying this?

I'm done
 
This simply is not true. I was going to let you and Cavatt hold hands and skip away in your make believe land of Tristan Rainbows, but this is so far removed from reality that I just dropped my fork and lost my appetite.

No dinner for me tonight if you really believe this Tornicade.

Have you been watching games? Are you really saying this?

I'm done

I know you fear the Tristan Rainbow. you should embrace it and bask in its soft warm glow.

Ill give ya a challenge rchfield name me 3 starting power forwards with a better mid range game this season than Tristan Thompson. and ill give you a statistical break down. showing comparable numbers. We can also do a year by year progression and compare those as well.
 
Consider he has shown he can shoot 5-19 feet as well as any other starting pf in the league....... was this in his "projection"

Seriously? You think TT shoots jumpers as good as any other starting PF in the league? I don't think you believe this.
 

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