Tristan Thompson

[RchfldCavRaised]

For how awful so many of you seem to think Tristan is, it seemed to me that he was the spark that got the momentum back on our side after halftime.


And the "stop being such a fucking fan" comment is pretty bullshit IMO.

So...

I'm guessing you are ok with the fondling LeBron's nuts part then? :chuckles:

Ok, it was one or the other, some possessions it was both. Either he was fondling his nuts or he was "being a fucking fan". I know what it looks like. It was the same way LeBron used to "be a fan" of Shaq when he would mimic his antics on the court and check to see if Shaq could see him while running down the court. Or the same way LeBron and Wade used to fondle each other's nuts while mid-game, like the game where Hickson dunked on Wade on a breakaway, so Wade took it personal and then he and LeBron started going 1 on 1 leading to halftime back in 2010. LeBron and Paul George high fiving each other mid-game in the playoffs... being a fan of each other.

The only thing bullshit is you running to his defense like it was not pretty clear to see how overly excited Tristan was to be out there with his hero.

 

[Los216]

TT is putting a wrench in our offense. We need to utilize Bynum in the post and playing TT with him is hurting the team and it's so obvious that only the TT stans won't admit it.

 

[RchfldCavRaised]

TT is putting a wrench in our offense. We need to utilize Bynum in the post and playing TT with him is hurting the team and it's so obvious that only the TT stans won't admit it.

I dont know where it came from, but I have absolutely NONE of the early season concerns I had about our lack of offensive system anymore.

I can see it

Like, its there. I see how each player can be maximized on offense now. There is a SYSTEM. It looks dangerous too. The game where I finally saw it, I sat over here scratching my chin like... GREAT job Mike Brown. Seriously. Really good job giving up the time in practice to work on instituting a offense.

Max said they have been committing alot of practice time and you can tell, we now look like a team that has a plan on BOTH sides of the floor. The players all have purpose.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM THOUGH...

Based on fit, Tristan shouldnt be starting. Unless they totally change the offense again to accommodate his inability to space the floor, he shouldnt be out there with Bynum to start games. The team looks ready to take off. Give them 20 healthy games with Kyrie and Bynum and 3 floor spacers and we will be full speed ahead with our starters setting the tone and then Waiters coming in and getting the ball and punishing teams. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it calls for a floor spacer at power forward.

It's refreshing to see.

I was preparing myself to disengage from pro basketball until a trade or something was done because I was tired of seeing this team not have a clear direction on offense. And now I see it.

Tristan is a boyscout, he'll be perfectly fine. Just like Waiters, he can wreck havock as soon as he gets on the court with his hustle and hitting the boards.

Lets make that move and lets give these guys time to gel... (and cross our fingers for good health)

 

[The Process God]

I dont know where it came from, but I have absolutely NONE of the early season concerns I had about our lack of offensive system anymore.

I can see it

Like, its there. I see how each player can be maximized on offense now. There is a SYSTEM. It looks dangerous too. The game where I finally saw it, I sat over here scratching my chin like... GREAT job Mike Brown. Seriously. Really good job giving up the time in practice to work on instituting a offense.

Max said they have been committing alot of practice time and you can tell, we now look like a team that has a plan on BOTH sides of the floor. The players all have purpose.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM THOUGH...

Based on fit, Tristan shouldnt be starting. Unless they totally change the offense again to accommodate his inability to space the floor, he shouldnt be out there with Bynum to start games. The team looks ready to take off. Give them 20 healthy games with Kyrie and Bynum and 3 floor spacers and we will be full speed ahead with our starters setting the tone and then Waiters coming in and getting the ball and punishing teams. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it calls for a floor spacer at power forward.

It's refreshing to see.

I was preparing myself to disengage from pro basketball until a trade or something was done because I was tired of seeing this team not have a clear direction on offense. And now I see it.

Tristan is a boyscout, he'll be perfectly fine. Just like Waiters, he can wreck havock as soon as he gets on the court with his hustle and hitting the boards.

Lets make that move and lets give these guys time to gel... (and cross our fingers for good health)

So basically we can put you on record for saying that you now believe in Mike Brown?

 

[Los216]

I dont know where it came from, but I have absolutely NONE of the early season concerns I had about our lack of offensive system anymore.

I can see it

Like, its there. I see how each player can be maximized on offense now. There is a SYSTEM. It looks dangerous too. The game where I finally saw it, I sat over here scratching my chin like... GREAT job Mike Brown. Seriously. Really good job giving up the time in practice to work on instituting a offense.

Max said they have been committing alot of practice time and you can tell, we now look like a team that has a plan on BOTH sides of the floor. The players all have purpose.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM THOUGH...

Based on fit, Tristan shouldnt be starting. Unless they totally change the offense again to accommodate his inability to space the floor, he shouldnt be out there with Bynum to start games. The team looks ready to take off. Give them 20 healthy games with Kyrie and Bynum and 3 floor spacers and we will be full speed ahead with our starters setting the tone and then Waiters coming in and getting the ball and punishing teams. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it calls for a floor spacer at power forward.

It's refreshing to see.

I was preparing myself to disengage from pro basketball until a trade or something was done because I was tired of seeing this team not have a clear direction on offense. And now I see it.

Tristan is a boyscout, he'll be perfectly fine. Just like Waiters, he can wreck havock as soon as he gets on the court with his hustle and hitting the boards.

Lets make that move and lets give these guys time to gel... (and cross our fingers for good health)

This is what confuses me the most. We all know TT has the best character/attitude on the team. He'd be the last guy to take it the wrong way if he was demoted to the bench. He would just pick up his lunch pale and keep working.

I'd start Bennett at the 4. I know it may take him a few games to adjust but his game is better suited to play with the starters.

What we lose by moving TT to the bench does not trumph the gains we get by giving Bynum the space he needs to operate.

 

[Cavatt]

Let's pump the brakes on the "very likely"

It's a tremendous accomplishment that he's developed a jumper that actually has a chance to go into the basket from time to time.

When can we be judged on the content of our posts rather than which words we use to express them? Jesus. This is why you nerds don't have any friends! Pick picky. Damn!

I swear I am a good poster and 99% of the time my message is ignored so someone can nitpick some wording. I'm going to have a contracts lawyer review all my posts from now on.

IMO Tristan is likely to develop a jumper. The fact that he can hit one at all after switching hands isn't encouraging?

Not completely directed at you D-wreck. Straw that broke the camel's back. I think you are a good poster. Just notice I never respond to specific words in someone's post. I respond to their argument. It is seriously the most Lawyer way to argue and why no one trusts politicians. If you want to win an argument on technicalities feel free. No one actually feels convinced afterwards.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Let's pump the brakes on the "very likely"

It's a tremendous accomplishment that he's developed a jumper that actually has a chance to go into the basket from time to time.

For the season, Tristan Thompson is shooting 41.1% (23-56) outside of the paint. That ain't bad for a big man who, two years ago, had absolutely no range in his game. I don't think it's unreasonable to say that, with another offseason of practice, he is likely to develop a very consistent jumper. He's already almost there. 41% from outside the paint is pretty solid for a big man. For reference, that's one percent less than Dion Waiters (42.2%) and only slightly lower than Kyrie Irving (41.7%).

He's also shooting an even 50% from outside the paint in the last thirty days, which is a pretty elite number. Now, if you eliminate the two zones directly to the left and the right of the paint (which are more likely to be post hooks than actual jumpers) and only include the areas to the back left, back right, and the top of the key to attempt to isolate the actual jumpers, he's shooting 56.2% the last thirty days and 48% for the season. To be fair, the sample size is still very low and surely he's had a few legitimate jumpshots from those left and right areas, but he's already pretty consistent with that jumper. He just needs to develop the confidence in it to use it more often so he can better stretch the floor and also see how consistent he really is.

 

[CPK]

For the season, Tristan Thompson is shooting 41.1% (23-56) outside of the paint. That ain't bad for a big man who, two years ago, had absolutely no range in his game. I don't think it's unreasonable to say that, with another offseason of practice, he is likely to develop a very consistent jumper. He's already almost there. 41% from outside the paint is pretty solid for a big man. For reference, that's one percent less than Dion Waiters (42.2%) and only slightly lower than Kyrie Irving (41.7%).

He's also shooting an even 50% from outside the paint in the last thirty days, which is a pretty elite number. Now, if you eliminate the two zones directly to the left and the right of the paint (which are more likely to be post hooks than actual jumpers) and only include the areas to the back left, back right, and the top of the key to attempt to isolate the actual jumpers, he's shooting 56.2% the last thirty days and 48% for the season. To be fair, the sample size is still very low and surely he's had a few legitimate jumpshots from those left and right areas, but he's already pretty consistent with that jumper. He just needs to develop the confidence in it to use it more often so he can better stretch the floor and also see how consistent he really is.

I really feel this is a lot of it right now. It's new to him so he doesn't trust it. He sometimes hesitates, thinks about it too much and it causes whatever he does next to not go so well.

 

[AB21Fan]

TT kind of reminds me of a student with a 4.0 GPA. He's so afraid of making a mistake. He doesn't want to shoot a missed shot. So he doesn't take it.

 

[Soar]

TT kind of reminds me of a student with a 4.0 GPA. He's so afraid of making a mistake. He doesn't want to shoot a missed shot. So he doesn't take it.

He sort of reminds me of the kid that studies really hard and gets good grades/does well because all he does is study. But when prompted to demonstrate natural intelligence more in the form of the ACT or IQ test, that student doesn't do that well.

Tristan works as hard as anyone. You can't knock that. But he lacks some natural offensive ability and I'm not sure if he will ever get it regardless of how hard he works. Bennett has more natural offensive potential than Tristan will ever have imo.

 

[Tornicade]

looking at thompson against the heat defense. he flourished with Bynum in the backcourt and ate hardwood without him.

Outside of the obvious benefit that bynum draws more attention than varejao. one other difference is that when Thompson is on the court with Bynum he lines up in the high post which is where AV sets up shot when he is on the court.

This combo usually works but when you have a lane clogging defense like Miami perhaps Tristan should be left at the high post.

 

[RchfldCavRaised]

looking at thompson against the heat defense. he flourished with Bynum in the backcourt and ate hardwood without him.

Outside of the obvious benefit that bynum draws more attention than varejao. one other difference is that when Thompson is on the court with Bynum he lines up in the high post which is where AV sets up shot when he is on the court.

This combo usually works but when you have a lane clogging defense like Miami perhaps Tristan should be left at the high post.

Wait... what?

Torn, have you been watching the last 5-7 games? Everything we are saying has been, "Now that we are establishing an offense with Bynum down low in half court and the PF in the high post, we need to put a PF there who can hurt defenses who have been sagging off of Tristan and doubling Bynum and shading towards Kyrie without guarding Tristan in the high post.

Pretty much EACH of our last 5-7 opponents (since Duncan first did it in SA) have been doing this and it has been pretty obvious what we need Tristan to do.

This isnt a Heat or paint clogging defense phenomenon.

Not singling you out brotha, but geeez. Welcome to the party. :chuckles:

 

[mAo_mAo]

I am more pissed at TT's inability to finish strong underneath the basket. For a PF with limited range he should be able to convert those under the rim/close to the rim bunnies at a very high clip. Give defenders a slight shoulder shrug/forearm to make some room to get your shot off.

 

[Tornicade]

Wait... what?

Torn, have you been watching the last 5-7 games? Everything we are saying has been, "Now that we are establishing an offense with Bynum down low in half court and the PF in the high post, we need to put a PF there who can hurt defenses who have been sagging off of Tristan and doubling Bynum and shading towards Kyrie without guarding Tristan in the high post.

Pretty much EACH of our last 5-7 opponents (since Duncan first did it in SA) have been doing this and it has been pretty obvious what we need Tristan to do.

This isnt a Heat or paint clogging defense phenomenon.

Not singling you out brotha, but geeez. Welcome to the party. :chuckles:

what i was saying was Tristan should be left in the hight post when AV comes on the court instead of AV setting up in the high post and moving Thompson to the low post. thats a strategical move not a roster change.

 

[Noonan]

I'd start Bennett at the 4. I know it may take him a few games to adjust but his game is better suited to play with the starters.

What we lose by moving TT to the bench does not trumph the gains we get by giving Bynum the space he needs to operate.

No offense, but this is absurd. I understand wanting a stretch four with the starters to spread the floor for Bynum and Kyrie. But the reality is that Bennett has the worst PER of any player in the league and looks completely lost. He has no business being a starter. I'm all for giving the kid a defined role and minutes. But that should be done with the second unit. Put him at power forward for 25 minutes a game and design sets with him, Dion and Andy.

Otherwise, you are benching a 22-year-old kid in Tristan who is one of the few leaders on this team and who is one of only nine guys in the league averaging a double-double (seriously, look it up). And you want to do it the night after he led the Cavs back from a 19 point deficit on the road against the NBA champs by drawing fouls, crashing the boards and scoring from all over the court. Amazing.

There's also the issue of what kind of message this sends to the rest of the team. Tristan works harder than anyone. Bennett came to camp overweight and basically ate himself out of the rotation, injury or not. You want to reward that? And you want Mike Brown -- a coach who values hard work and defense above all else -- to make that move?

Don't get me wrong. Long term there are a lot of variables that could lead the Cavs to go in a number of different directions with the roster and the rotation. I'm not ready to sell short on Tristan, Dion or Bennett. I'm also not ready to say they all have defined roles for the next five years. But benching Tristan is a loser's move that shows an inability to see what is plainly obvious about this team: Kyrie and Tristan are the nucleus.