Tristan Thompson

[shoes22]

Tristan had a really great game tonight. He plays very well with Hawes...there's plenty of room for Tristan to work.

 

[Cavatt]

Last 9 games:

15.0 points
11.9 rebounds
57.6% FG
70.7% FT

Just screams role player to me. He will never be more than an energy guy off the bench. Er, wait is 15 and 12 good for a player with such a low ceiling?

 

[CosmoKramer]

Last 9 games:

15.0 points
11.9 rebounds
57.6% FG
70.7% FT

It should go without saying, but without Andy out there he's easily our best defensive big as well. You combine that with the offensive production we've seen the past few weeks and we're starting to talk about a legitimately good NBA player.

In one of the Kyrie threads a Western Conference scout questioned Kyrie's confidence in his teammates, specifically pointing to Deng and TT as good players worth trusting. While I didn't agree with his overall assessment, I thought it was interesting that someone paid to evaluate basketball players thinks so highly of Tristan. His game isn't the sexiest, but scouts/coaches really value what he's consistently bringing to the court.

Even before we drafted AB posters questioned whether he was our future power forward. At 22 he's still one of youngest starting power forwards in the entire NBA. He's improved every year he's been here, his passing and shooting are particularly light years ahead of where he was his rookie year.

I don't know where his perceived '3rd big off the bench' ceiling was agreed upon, but it's pretty obviously starting to look foolish.

 

[Ohio]

Kyrie & Tristan post game

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10535451

Figured I'd post this here as well.

 

[Adam]

If TT had a moto it would be ENTHUSIASM AHHHH!, but you know in latin to make it classy.

Hes playing well within the flow of the game. Still needs to take a couple of 15' jumpers a game, but maybe that a summer away. When paired with hawes he has enough space to use his dribble without clogging the lane. I just wish he would be able to dunk on guys, he has no authority near the rim, its just more fun to watch

 

[Spencer Hawes]

Recently, he's been been reverting back to that jump float and appears to be hitting it consistently. That should be his bread and butter. Forget the jumper. Work on that jump float and turn it into a weapon like Kareem did with his hook shot. His jump float is pretty much unblockable.

 

[mcfly]

It is nearly impossible not to root for Tristan.

 

[tristan+kyrie=$]

people want him to fail sometimes it seems...just be happy in that "weak draft", we got in my mind the two best players

 

[CardiacCavs]

Last 9 games:

15.0 points
11.9 rebounds
57.6% FG
70.7% FT

These stats deserve to be quoted again. Especially that FG and ft %. Although I do expect these numbers to come down a little once Andy comes back and TT doesn't have to play a huge amount of minutes.

 

[supermario21]

It's a lot easier for Tristan to hit that jump floater and find his groove down low with the floor spacing provided by Hawes. In fact, when Andy comes back, I hope he comes off the bench and provides energy minutes and Hawes remains in the starting lineup. Plus Andy fits better with Bennett and Zeller anyways IMO.

 

[godfather]

Tristan is benefiting as much from Hawes as Kyrie is. I notice his numbers have been so efficient lately, he's able to operate more in space down low as opposed from before. Where he can get that running jump hook going, he's able to no longer be a liability, but is more of a threat now.

It's so nice when you can find one player, maybe not a superstar, but a guy that can now plug Kyrie, Dion, Tristan, and the rest of our core in their right place. It really sucks in a way it happen too late. I think if we had this roster to start the season, we'd be knocking on the door as a third seed in the East, and possibly an MVP candidate in Kyrie even.

With just 5 games, they already mesh so well with Hawes. He skill set nicely compliments everyone else on the floor.

 

[Cavatt]

You also had to figure switching hands wouldn't lend itself to a high fg% at first. Not to take away from the Hawes spacing, but his fg% has improved over the season anyway.

 

[oasis05]

Thompson had 18 and 8, but Randolph has 23, and 14. Brown basically handed the grizzlies the match up not even giving bennett a chance. This was a perfect game to expand bennett's role, and put Randolph in a position of weakness defending bennett off pick and pops. Really annoyed me that brown ignored attacking Zach Randolph's biggest weakness, which is defending the perimeter and pick and rolls, and instead played into his strengths and allowed him to win the pushing match with tristan.

 

[shoes22]

Thompson had 18 and 8, but Randolph has 23, and 14. Brown basically handed the grizzlies the match up not even giving bennett a chance. This was a perfect game to expand bennett's role, and put Randolph in a position of weakness defending bennett off pick and pops. Really annoyed me that brown ignored attacking Zach Randolph's biggest weakness, which is defending the perimeter and pick and rolls, and instead played into his strengths and allowed him to win the pushing match with tristan.

It's great to play the "what-if" hindsight game, but it's just as likely Randolph would have eaten Bennett alive, if not moreso.

 

[Cavatt]

Some on here have cited Randolph and Gasol as the best front court in the league. They simply outplayed our young front court. I am not going to be too hard on the young guys. Randolph was guarded well, he just turned it on even when he was pushed out of the paint. The grizz executed down the stretch and the Cavs did not. Tale of two halves i am afraid.