Cavs' defensive menace Tristan Thompson knows he must be better for Game 2
OAKLAND – Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson delivered a harsh and blunt assessment of his Game 1 performance.
“Trash,” he said.
He repeated it for effect.
“Trash.”
Thompson produced no points and just four rebounds in Cleveland’s series-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
“I have to be better,” Thompson said. “I have to bring more energy. Make it tough for them. I know they're watching film, and something for them, it's to keep me off the glass. It's going to be a wrestling match down there, and you have to keep it going and make it tough for them and just try to wear them out.
“Just take it to another level. Playing against the Warriors, you can't just play hard. You have to play hard to a level where it's past the thermostat. It's a different level with this team.”
It was Thompson’s second-lowest rebounding total and the first time he hadn’t scored in the playoffs.
“It's definitely frustrating because you always want to play well, especially Game 1 of the NBA Finals,” he said. “You want to come out and compete. But it's a long series. It's like a boxing match. You have a lot of rounds, and (Sunday) is Round 2.”
Latest NBA Finals coverage:
Thompson is an outstanding rebounder (9.3 per game in the first three rounds), especially on the offensive end. He had more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds against Indiana in the first round.
Golden State made a dedicated effort to keep Thompson from collecting the basketball after missed shots. Sometimes, the Warriors created a four-player wall to prevent Thompson from getting an offensive rebound.
“I feel that part of our offense is me getting offensive rebounds and creating second opportunities for them,” Thompson said. “I'm not going to stop doing that. That's what I bring to the table.”
Thompson is not a prolific scorer, but that’s not what the Cavaliers need from him. With an unheralded yeoman’s role, Thompson is a significant part of Cleveland’s success.
Thompson knows his role and does it extremely well. It’s why the Cavs signed him to a five-year, $82 million dollar deal before the 2015-16 season.
He rebounds, defends, sets screens and hustles.
His rebounding and defense create offense. He is among the playoff leaders in shots challenged, contesting 12.9 shots per game, just below Draymond Green’s 13.5, according to NBA.com/stats. His screens lead to 4.4 made shots per game.
His ability to defend pick-and-rolls, protect the rim, quickly get from the perimeter back to the rim and guard multiple positions makes Cleveland a better defensive team. When Thompson is on the floor, the Cavs allow just 100.7 points per 100 possessions.
The Cavs aren’t concerned about his production for the rest of the series.
“He's going to be fine,” Cleveland coach Ty Lue said. “They're doing a good job of hitting him with two or three bodies to keep him off the offensive glass. But with him running the floor, with his will, with his passion for the game, he's going to be fine. So we're not worried about Tristan.”
Follow Paste BN Sports' Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.