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Tristan Thompson

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I think Tristan has gotten vastly overrated. What did he really improve on by the way? He's still the same player to me.

He just looks better when surrounded by better talent. He looked good playing next to Mozgov, because Mozgov is a 7 foot center that creates a lot of havoc on both sides of the floor. Tristan benefits a lot from it.

Don't get me wrong, Tristan is a good player. I just wouldn't seriously think of him as a "must have" player.

When he was on a poorer roster, his very flawed game was on full display. I don't think the Cavs would have even wanted him on the team if we didn't land LeBron back.

He probably would have been gone, as he had clear limits as a starting player. That should not be ignored. He's still not a starting caliber player, IMO, and I think paying him 12 million a year personally, is a little high. But given his role blends in really well with the rest of the guys, and very little is asked of him. I can bite my tongue and live with that at least.

But if this guy really thinks he's getting a max contract, the drug testing in the NBA needs to be improved upon. Because he's on something.
 
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Omar The Horse said:
Explain how he's replaceable when the team doesn't have cap space next summer and no draft picks.
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Reggie Evans provides about the same rebounding, no defense, no offense at vet minimum.

Ed Davis provided better offense and defense, but slightly less rebounding, again at vet minimum.

There are always bigs that will play at vet min that could give you the same production.
 
Just do the math and realize that Paul's full of shit.

TT takes the QO this year and bails on the Cavs, he's locked into 4.5% raises (instead of 7.5%). He's gotta get an offer that pays $17M in 2016 just to BREAK EVEN on the deal he has today. Even with the cap rising to $89M, Is an offensively limited PF worth 19% of your cap?

5/$80 is a fair deal, and even with the cap exploding is about as good as he's going to do. If he signs now, he's an unrestricted FA at 29, rather than 30, which is going to be worth more. If he gets injured this year, it could be game over.

Give the man credit for putting it all on black, but that sort of luck only holds up for so long.
 
Man Called X said:
Reggie Evans provides about the same rebounding, no defense, no offense at vet minimum.

Ed Davis provided better offense and defense, but slightly less rebounding, again at vet minimum.

There are always bigs that will play at vet min that could give you the same production.
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Tristan is better than both.

Ed Davis got his pay day this summer. Reggie Evans isn't even signed to a team.

What makes you think the Cavs have the ability to sign a young championship quality big for cheap when they've never done it?
 
If they are demanding more than 5/70M, let him take the QO and prove he's not bluffing next offseason.

The priority is Mozgov. Getting something similar to TT for much less money shouldn't be that hard.
 
Man Called X said:
Reggie Evans provides about the same rebounding, no defense, no offense at vet minimum.

Ed Davis provided better offense and defense, but slightly less rebounding, again at vet minimum.

There are always bigs that will play at vet min that could give you the same production.
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What? Are you saying Ed Davis is as (nearly as) good as TT? Reggie Evans isn't even comparable, because as you pointed out, his defense is equivalent to a pair of empty shoes on the court. Tristan is actually, at worst, a league average defender. He is weak in the post but well above average at the PnR and mid-court man-man defense.
 
kevin02 said:
Don't get me wrong... Tristan is one of the best at what he does. But you can get similar production for much less.
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This is like paying Andy (earlier in his career) the max contract. Think about how ridiculous that is. They're virtually the same, but I think Andy was better personally then.

Obviously he became much, much better when his entire game developed.
 
Omar The Horse said:
Explain how he's replaceable when the team doesn't have cap space next summer and no draft picks.
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His role is something any number of guys can do in the league. Maybe not as well, but decently well. There are guys sitting on the scrap heap that can "see ball, get ball" and catch alley oops from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He's a great offensive rebounder, but an average player. He's an average defensive rebounder and an above average defender (that can't protect the rim). His percentage of rebounds per chance were right around Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis territory.

I love watching him get offensive boards as much as the next guy but we have other guys on the team that can do that and there are guys around the league that are dying for a chance to play in the situation he's in. No offensive expectations. Stud offensive players to draw the defense and to force switches of smaller players on to you. Play 20 some odd minutes with "energy". TT right now is nowhere near the player Anderson Varejao was at the same age and I don't recall him being worthy of max money. In fact, if Andy could return to health and stay healthy, he's likely the better player now.

TT is a very limited player and for all he did in the playoffs he offered nothing offensively(we could've used some offense) and got abused regularly by GS on defense. I think another player may not generate as many extra possessions as he did, but they'd certainly have every opportunity to do so given what is asked of TT in his role (not much).
 
Scar4343 said:
His role is something any number of guys can do in the league. Maybe not as well, but decently well. There are guys sitting on the scrap heap that can "see ball, get ball" and catch alley oops from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He's a great offensive rebounder, but an average player. He's an average defensive rebounder and an above average defender (that can't protect the rim). His percentage of rebounds per chance were right around Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis territory.

I love watching him get offensive boards as much as the next guy but we have other guys on the team that can do that and there are guys around the league that are dying for a chance to play in the situation he's in. No offensive expectations. Stud offensive players to draw the defense and to force switches of smaller players on to you. Play 20 some odd minutes with "energy". TT right now is nowhere near the player Anderson Varejao was at the same age and I don't recall him being worthy of max money. In fact, if Andy could return to health and stay healthy, he's likely the better player now.

TT is a very limited player and for all he did in the playoffs he offered nothing offensively(we could've used some offense) and got abused regularly by GS on defense. I think another player may not generate as many extra possessions as he did, but they'd certainly have every opportunity to do so given what is asked of TT in his role (not much).
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Show me the list of bigs that can replace him and his production available for the minimum next summer.
 
godfather said:
This is like paying Andy (earlier in his career) the max contract. Think about how ridiculous that is. They're virtually the same, but I think Andy was better personally then.

Obviously he became much, much better when his entire game developed.
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Andy was unquestionably better. Much better defender. Equivalent offensive rebounder. Better defensive rebounder. Better offensive player (shooting took a few years to improve but was better than TT even at its worst, better passer, better at moving off the ball, better at setting screens).
 
Omar The Horse said:
Show me the list of bigs that can replace him and his production available for the minimum next summer.
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Let me know next summer and I'll show you someone that can fill his role "maybe not as well, but decently well". Nice straw man though.
 
Remember when that guy Gourimoko said "we better trade Tristan while we have the chance, he's going to demand a fortune and we'd be better off getting value while we can."

Remember how many folks said .. "Noo.. He's not going to get anything more than $12M!"

Lol...

Hope this is a lesson to many of you out there. Don't get emotionally attached to these players. We should've traded Tristan at last years deadline before all of this happened. A backup specialist big on a $94M contract...

fuck outta here...
 
jking948 said:
What? Are you saying Ed Davis is as (nearly as) good as TT? Reggie Evans isn't even comparable, because as you pointed out, his defense is equivalent to a pair of empty shoes on the court. Tristan is actually, at worst, a league average defender. He is weak in the post but well above average at the PnR and mid-court man-man defense.
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His PnR defense is vastly overrated. How many 4th quarter leads did we piss away because we had TT switch on every friggin move? How many times did I have to watch guards shoot 3's in his face or blow by him with a quick first step? Am I the only one that watched Curry abuse him every time he made the switch?

Omar The Horse said:
Tristan is better than both.

Ed Davis got his pay day this summer. Reggie Evans isn't even signed to a team.

What makes you think the Cavs have the ability to sign a young championship quality big for cheap when they've never done it?
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Why do you think TT is a championship quality big? What is this arbitrary definition of "championship quality big?" A player worth starting on the majority of teams in the league? Can you actually find me one team where TT would start?

The Cavs may not sign cheap bigs, but they seem to draft/trade for decent bigs in the 2nd round.
 
Scar4343 said:
Let me know next summer and I'll show you someone that can fill his role "maybe not as well, but decently well". Nice straw man though.
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It's not a straw man argument if I'm asking you to be specific about what the Cavs can do next summer to replace him with limited resources.
 
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