Tristan Thompson

[mcfly]

Alridge with the freak long arms is just unguardle when the turnaround jumper is falling. Who can stop him fromhitting that shotwhen hes shooting it 18ft from the basket?

That jumper is very Kevin Garnett-esque, the only way to stop it is to try to deny him the ball. Good luck, I know.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Didn't see the game last night - passed out at 9PM after sleeping like two hours the night before. 32 points for Aldridge? He is an amazing player but I thought TT was supposed to be a good defender.

Aldridge was shooting 10-24 before his last two makes against Andy. TT didn't shut him down but Aldridge had a pretty inefficient game. The fact that TT had another double double on 50% shooting is just gravy.

When they played in Portland last year Aldridge only got 15-10 while TT had one of his best games of the year with 19 points and 14 boards in a Cavs win. Not bad against the best power forward in the entire NBA.

 

[Cavsfan1985]

I guess the other thing to look at is how Zeller develops. Him an TT out there at the same time would cover some of TT spacing issues. I like the way TT plays the game, he gives it his all every game. This is the type of player teams need to win. He just is a horrible fit on this team. I think a lot of people on here are too negative on TT, but fail to realize he is becoming a good PF, just not a good fit for this team.

 

[tristan+kyrie=$]

We will not start truly turning the corner until we get more floor spacing and that includes Tristan going to the bench and us bringing in a 4 who can be consistent 15 feet and in

 

[shoes22]

We will not start truly turning the corner until we get more floor spacing and that includes Tristan going to the bench and us bringing in a 4 who can be consistent 15 feet and in

Not true...our main problem isn't with the offense or scoring at all. It's the defense.

 

[Soar]

Not true...our main problem isn't with the offense or scoring at all. It's the defense.

Agree that our biggest problem right now is the defense. But I think Tristan can make it more difficult for us to score. Or at least prevents easier looks.

I think Portland is a good example. Aldridge can command double teams. We don't have a post guy that can do that. Zeller, Bennett, Thompson, and Varejao don't require any sort of double team.

This means Kyrie and now Deng will often be doubled. This is one thing that has hurt Kyrie more this year imo.

So from a PPG aspect, Tristan doesn't hurt terribly, but from a getting open shots aspect, the combo of Andy and Tristan does hurt.

This is why getting a top flight PF/C should be a priority.

 

[Fuggles]

Not true...our main problem isn't with the offense or scoring at all. It's the defense.

 

[Goldin Brown]

I like Tristan a lot but I think his value will be greatest as a third big. Once he reaches his prime I think he will really be a great player to have in that role. What we need is for Bennett to get his shit together and take that starting PF job, then I think we need a rim protecting type of center to play next to him.

 

[Cavatt]

I like Tristan a lot but I think his value will be greatest as a third big. Once he reaches his prime I think he will really be a great player to have in that role. What we need is for Bennett to get his shit together and take that starting PF job, then I think we need a rim protecting type of center to play next to him.

This is really the issue here. We don't know what we really have. I think they should give the core a little time. Dion and TT seem to be trending upwards. I am pretty sure they are going to get better. Trading them for another star with picks included might be possible this year, but I think it is more likely next year. Bennett developing or not tells the organization what they need for the future. I just think it is dangerous to try to make these decisions right now. What if you trade for a shooting big and Tony develops into a dangerous weapon on both ends? You might end up with a super dangerous 3 guard rotation of Kyrie, Dion, Sergey for instance. I just think it might be a little premature to make a move for something you might not need, and also not get full value out of your young players. Even Zeller may turn out to be better than expected. The lineup with he and Andy has been looking really good.

 

[RTrees]

Still love that D most nights. But on Aldridge he just seemed to not really know what to do.

He was crouching down so low to get a powerful stance that it made him short. Aldridge's release is too quick and high for that. He didn't need a powerful stance when Aldridge is 15 feet out, he needed to be more upright with his feet closer to Aldridge, to make him go AROUND him instead of right by him. It looked like Thompson's assignment was to play physical with Aldridge, but he overdid the physical and neglected the mental. With a better and closer to the defender upright stance out there, (his feet can still be wide, but his torso need be vertical (he was hunching over)), he needs to rely more on anticipation to pull those charges if Aldridge make a move toward the basket. Keep those feet moving and adjusting to where Aldridge would have a hard time getting around them. Then if Aldridge decides to shoot, he's already right there in his face and his arms are closer for the block or alter. And if he can get his hands on the ball before Aldridge even raises it above his head, even better. Altering Aldridge's shooting motion from the very beginning is a better goal than just trying to block it at the top, he's so tall.

And I don't know if I explained the closer stance thing correctly, but don't be confused. If your feet are in the right place, you can be closer to the defender AND make it harder for them to get by you, it depends on the angles you're making him go around you. Delly has a great knack for this in much of his one-on-one defense, because he knows that he can't keep up if he gives too much space. It obviously depends on the situation, but last night TT's D seemed like it was for somebody else, not Aldridge.

We'll get 'em next time.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

One of Thompson's biggest problems is that he is being counted on as a great help side defender, yet that's one of the weakest parts of his game. I've been banging that drum a lot recently, and his stupid mental mistakes on defense are really starting to bother me. Obviously this is maybe something he can improve upon in later years, but right now he's doing more harm than good. I know Brown sees a lot of potential in his defensive game...but I don't see game changing defense from Thompson.

He needs replaced in the starting lineup. So does Andy. We need a rim protector and a floor spacer.

 

[Omar The Horse]

Can he play against Kenneth Faried every night?

 

[Rich]

13.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 59% shooting on the road trip.

And no, I would not trade him for Kenneth Faried, Los.

 

[Mowill2]

Tristan defense was great tonight didn't go for head fakes, stayed on his man and rotated great overall great game. Tristan trying to become a mini Andy with clutch offensive rebounds

 

[oasis05]

Removing waiters from the starting line up and inserting Deng has opened up the center of the defense. They've managed to spread the floor and open up lanes for cuts even with Thompson on the floor.