Is Tristan Thompson Good Enough to be the "4" we've been waiting for?

[Primer]

Scouting report
+*Top rebounder on both ends.*
+*Switch in shooting hand helped free throw percentage.
+*Needs to improve rim protection and overall defense.


Analysis
Tristan Thompson has started all 82 games the last two seasons and played almost exclusively at power forward. Now he's eligible for an extension and getting ready to play for the best team he's been on by far. And yet somehow, this combination of factors has cast his immediate future into uncertainty. Thompson won't be starting at 4 for Cleveland anymore, not with Love around. He's also not likely to get the $40 million extension he's reportedly after, not with a massive contract to Kyrie Irving on the books, and two more headed to Love and LeBron James next summer. Yet the Cavaliers need Thompson in the here and now, and as insurance for the unlikely possibility that Love wants to bolt for the West Coast after the season.

Thompson made the unprecedented move of switching his primary shooting hand from left to right last season. It worked for the most part. His free throw percentage was easily his best, and he became more efficient as a face-up shooter. That's all relative though, because he ending taking more shots away from the hoop, his field-goal percentage slipped. The bottom line was lower volume and improved, but still below average, offensive efficiency. Thompson is a dynamic rebounder though and draws a high rate of fouls. His defensive metrics are poor. He doesn't block a lot of shots and his defensive RPM was minus-1.9. Nevertheless, there has been talk of Cleveland starting him at center in hopes of keeping brittle center Anderson Varejao upright for a deep playoff run. It's crucial for Thompson's financial future that he shows he can contribute to a winning team now that he has a chance.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playe...istan-thompson

This is from before last season so not terribly relevant, but it does show he still has all the same issues he did before last season.

Cleveland should have given him that $40M extension, would have saved them a lot of trouble.

I still feel like we're only talking about this guy because he's Canadian. He's a poor mans Reggie Evans.

[Chr1s1anL]

TT is a very good OFFENSIVE rebounder not the best rebounding 4 in the league

Scouting report
+*Top rebounder on both ends.*
+*Switch in shooting hand helped free throw percentage.
+*Needs to improve rim protection and overall defense.


Analysis
Tristan Thompson has started all 82 games the last two seasons and played almost exclusively at power forward. Now he's eligible for an extension and getting ready to play for the best team he's been on by far. And yet somehow, this combination of factors has cast his immediate future into uncertainty. Thompson won't be starting at 4 for Cleveland anymore, not with Love around. He's also not likely to get the $40 million extension he's reportedly after, not with a massive contract to Kyrie Irving on the books, and two more headed to Love and LeBron James next summer. Yet the Cavaliers need Thompson in the here and now, and as insurance for the unlikely possibility that Love wants to bolt for the West Coast after the season.

Thompson made the unprecedented move of switching his primary shooting hand from left to right last season. It worked for the most part. His free throw percentage was easily his best, and he became more efficient as a face-up shooter. That's all relative though, because he ending taking more shots away from the hoop, his field-goal percentage slipped. The bottom line was lower volume and improved, but still below average, offensive efficiency. Thompson is a dynamic rebounder though and draws a high rate of fouls. His defensive metrics are poor. He doesn't block a lot of shots and his defensive RPM was minus-1.9. Nevertheless, there has been talk of Cleveland starting him at center in hopes of keeping brittle center Anderson Varejao upright for a deep playoff run. It's crucial for Thompson's financial future that he shows he can contribute to a winning team now that he has a chance.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playe...istan-thompson

[JWash]

TT can fit here if we get rid of DeRozan and replace him with one who can create, shoot and pass, score efficiently.

That's a whole lot of requirements.

Harden, Klay, maybe Hayward?

[JWash]

Why in the fuck would Cleveland do that? If they're going to trade TT (after he signs the QO which may not even happen), they aren't going to do it for 2 expiring deals, they'd do it for someone who will stick around at a cheaper price.


I'm a big no on TT. He's basically fucking useless outside of 3ft around the basket on offense. He doesn't compliment JV at all. He's only good at rebounding, which also happens to be JV's strong suit. He wants way way more than he's worth. He's not starting caliber as all he does at an elite level is rebound, average defender, atrocious on offense.

Scola outplayed TT last season, and he's only costing us $3M. Just think about that.

I didn't say Cleveland would do it... just said that's all I'd move for him. Dude isn't really a difference maker.

[MACK11]

Raptors sucked at rebounding. TT is arguably the best rebounding 4 in the league. He would also fit great in Casey's defensive system with his ability to hedge and switch on the perimeter. TT has very quick feet for someone his size. His a better rebounding Amir to me.

I think you trade for him now. Let him play at home now. Let him prove what his worth. I think his more likely to take a pay cut if his a starter a for his hometown team. Instead of taking one to back Love for the next 4 years.

I think if he takes the QO you offer 2pat for TT straight up and maybe throw a second rounder in there too. Maybe our first in the upcoming draft(not the NYC/DEN). Weak draft no need for two picks.

TT is a very good OFFENSIVE rebounder not the best rebounding 4 in the league

[golden]

Seems a decent summary of TT's up- and down-sides: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...james-leverage

Nice post. I think it's a pretty fair assessment as to why no GM in their right mind should pay TT the max.

Under normal circumstances, Thompson isn't worth a max deal.

Never mind his plummeting usage rate or declining per-game numbers. Those are the side effects of playing for a superteam. Thompson is, at most, the Cavaliers' fourth-best player. He's not going to post gaudy stat lines regularly.

Assuming the future health of Timofey Mozgov and Love, along with James, Thompson will be lucky to even match the 26.8 minutes per game he averaged last season. And while star-studded championship contenders are usually pretty good at compensating those outside their megastar nucleus, diminished roles can drive down price tags.

Interpreting Thompson's importance is particularly difficult given he doesn't epitomize the ideal complementary player.

His offensive game is limited. More than 66 percent of his shot attempts came within three feet last season, and he shot just 36.6 percent when firing away outside that range.

Although he is valued for his glass-crashing more anything, he's not irreplaceable on that front. He ranked 29th in rebounding percentage last season—though he was admittedly a standout offensive board-hoarder, finishing fifth in offensive rebounding percentage.

There's no reason to classify Thompson as an elite defender, either. The Cavaliers allowed fewer points without him on the floor in 2014-15, and he ranked in the bottom 33 percent of rim protection among all players to face three or more shots at the iron every game.

On top of that, Thompson has never posted a positive box-score plus/minus—not even last season when, unlike his first three years in the league, he was surrounded by a surplus of top-tier talent.

[Chr1s1anL]

Raptors sucked at rebounding. TT is arguably the best rebounding 4 in the league. He would also fit great in Casey's defensive system with his ability to hedge and switch on the perimeter. TT has very quick feet for someone his size. His a better rebounding Amir to me.

I think you trade for him now. Let him play at home now. Let him prove what his worth. I think his more likely to take a pay cut if his a starter a for his hometown team. Instead of taking one to back Love for the next 4 years.

I think if he takes the QO you offer 2pat for TT straight up and maybe throw a second rounder in there too. Maybe our first in the upcoming draft(not the NYC/DEN). Weak draft no need for two picks.

[Partfoop]

TT can fit here if we get rid of DeRozan and replace him with one who can create, shoot and pass, score efficiently.

Who is this player? Whomever it is has to be a big money piece, too.

[Partfoop]

TT to raps makes little sense.

No spacing.

Can't compare to Zbo and Gasol because those guys are highly skilled and can space the floor to about 18 feet no problem.

If you put in a guy like TT you need shooters at PG and wing that can all hit 3 at above average rate.

I agree. Thompson and JVTV are closer to ZBo and Curry than ZBo and Gasol. Spacing is a big issue here. Tristan and Jonas would be tripping over each other on both ends of the floor.

[Primer]

Tristan is going to sign the QO with the Cavs imo. If he does I wouldn't mind flipping Scola+JJ+(Filler) for him in December. See how he plays for the rest of the year then re-sign if he's worth the cost.

But no way am I touching him on a 90M deal. His skillset is easy to replace imo

Why in the fuck would Cleveland do that? If they're going to trade TT (after he signs the QO which may not even happen), they aren't going to do it for 2 expiring deals, they'd do it for someone who will stick around at a cheaper price.


I'm a big no on TT. He's basically fucking useless outside of 3ft around the basket on offense. He doesn't compliment JV at all. He's only good at rebounding, which also happens to be JV's strong suit. He wants way way more than he's worth. He's not starting caliber as all he does at an elite level is rebound, average defender, atrocious on offense.

Scola outplayed TT last season, and he's only costing us $3M. Just think about that.

[ebrian]

TT can fit here if we get rid of DeRozan and replace him with one who can create, shoot and pass, score efficiently.

[Snooch]

I think this team needs a four who can pass the ball very well personally.

And I dont recall TT being a great passer.

[Apollo]

Home town discount - 4 years, 66 mill.

But the all the teams who will be willing to break the bank on him finish their seasons in April. He can live in Toronto five months of the year and make an extra $25M. Who's giving up $25M so they can live in Toronto during the winter? That's coooold.

[mcHAPPY]

TT to raps makes little sense.

No spacing.

Can't compare to Zbo and Gasol because those guys are highly skilled and can space the floor to about 18 feet no problem.

If you put in a guy like TT you need shooters at PG and wing that can all hit 3 at above average rate.

[Axel]

TT is a fine player on an Amir like contract ($7.5M + inflation) but all this talk of max for TT is crazy.

Either the Cavs or the market will be crazy to sign TT for that. If it is the market, the number of "less than great" players getting max deals will shatter the free market concept of value.