Getting Back to the Boards
Tristan Thompson Tries to Turn His Finals Around on the Home Hardwood
by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
6/6/17 | Cavs.com
Even with Kyrie Irving, at times, struggling to find his shot through the first two games of the 2017 Finals, the Cavaliers essentially know what they’re going to get from the Big Three.
What the Wine and Gold have been lacking are contributions by some normally rock-solid performers – including the remaining 40 percent of their starting lineup.
J.R. Smith hasn’t shot the ball poorly through the 2017 postseason, he just hasn’t shot much – averaging just over 4.5 shots per contest, netting three points in Game 1 of the Finals and taking the collar in 14 frustrating minutes of floor time on Sunday.
Tristan Thompson has been just as quiet – finishing with eight quiet points on Sunday night in Oakland after going scoreless in the series opener. Of course, the Cavaliers don’t need T.T. to light up the scoreboard. The concern is that the postseason’s top offensive rebounder hasn’t gotten untracked off the glass – snagging a combined eight boards through the first two games.
After dominating the offensive boards in the first part of the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, the Celtics made a concerted effort to stop Thompson – throwing multiple bodies at him in the paint.
The Warriors have noticed and followed suit. The strategy has allowed Kevin Love to post some of the best rebounding games of his Playoff career, but it’s got the Cavaliers’ iron man mired in a funk.
”(Golden State)’s been out there talking a lot about trying to keep a body on (Thompson), a couple of bodies on him,” said LeBron James following Sunday’s defeat. “He’s a big piece of our success and they know that, so they have neutralized that in the first two games.”
“(The Warriors) are doing the same thing (Boston did),” agreed Thompson. “But every NBA player is different. When you’re going against Zaza, you’re not going to out-muscle him. He’s top-heavy, so you have to use your feet to get around him, your quickness. With other guys, you can just use your strength. With different guys, you have to use a different approach. So, when they send two guys, you just have to be crafty.”
In terms of offensive rebounding, Tristan Thompson's 234 career Playoff offensive boards are 44 more than the next player (LeBron) on the list.
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors have a vested interest in trying to stop Thompson – who’s had great success against them in the previous two Finals matchups.
In 2015, Tristan grabbed double-digit rebounds in all six contests, averaging 13.0 boards per and doubling up in each of the final four games. Last year, the native Canadian averaged a double-double – 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds in the epic seven-game series.
The Warriors create so many mismatches and are able to put so many different dangerous combinations on the floor, the Cavaliers have been forced to go away from some pieces that have been integral parts of the machinery all year.
Channing Frye – the most accurate three-point shooter in Cavs postseason history – was a DNP-CD in the final three games of last year’s Finals, didn’t see any action in Game 1 and was forced from the floor when Golden State went small on Sunday night.
Thompson – the franchise’s all-time best on the offensive glass – has been limited to just over 20 minutes of work through the Finals’ first two games in Oakland.
”(Golden State) is doing a good job of trying to keep him off the glass, and at times we're down and they are playing well defensively, so we decide to go smaller and kind of open the floor up and space the floor,” said Coach Tyronn Lue after Sunday’s loss. “So nothing Tristan's done, it's just basically just trying to get more scoring on the floor, more shooting, because they try to load up and help so much."
And he came into the Finals on a solid roll this season – grabbing at least 10 boards in seven games so far – averaging 8.5 points and 8.6 boards, shooting a career Playoff-best .575 from the floor and posting a pair of double-doubles along the way.
”I think I just need to get back to being more active – running around, moving around, maybe not in position to get the first offensive rebound, but keep moving, wearing (Golden State) out and then eventually, they’ll start coming my way.”
During Cleveland’s current postseason run, Thompson has passed Brad Daugherty and Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the franchise’s all-time rebounding list – trailing only his teammate, LeBron James, who’s also benefited from the extra attention Golden State is paying to Tristan, averaging 13.0 boards per through the first two games.
In terms of offensive rebounding, his 234 career offensive boards are 44 more than the next player (LeBron, naturally) on the list.
Thompson’s also posted the best scoring game of his young postseason career – tallying 20 points against Boston, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor to go with nine boards, two blocks and a pair of steals. He’s the only Cavalier in team history to make at least seven field goals without a miss in a Playoff game.
But it’s important not to get too caught up in Thompson’s numbers.
”We gotta Defend the Land.”
Cavaliers Center Tristan Thompson
Last June, the Cavaliers returned from Oakland in a similar situation – trailing 0-2 in the series after a pair of demoralizing losses on the Left Coast. But Thompson brought boundless energy to Game 3 – setting a physical tone early and often, doubling-up and grabbing half of his 14 boards off the offensive glass.
”(Tristan) hasn’t played as well as he would’ve liked to,” said Kyrie Irving after Tuesday’s practice. “But his greatness comes in the energy and the attitude that he brings. The effort that he brings. And we’re gonna need a lot of that from him … and some. He can deliver that for us – and he will.”
The Cavaliers will need every ounce of his energy on Wednesday night.
And Thompson, who suited up for 447 straight games before being sidelined with a sprained thumb late in the season, plans to get it right back from some of the wildest fans in the Association.
”We know they’re going to be excited,” concluded the blue-collar big. “The energy’s gonna be full-tilt, they’re gonna have our back and they’re definitely gonna energize us and we have to feed off that. We have to give them the same energy back. We have to come out early and set the tone early, especially on our homecourt.”
”We gotta Defend the Land.”