There have been drastic changes made around the league thus far, but for Tristan Thompson the change only made him better.
Thompson was a starter for the last three seasons and last was key piece to Cleveland’s success on their path to three straight NBA Finals appearances. His presence on the glass is one of his biggest assets, averaging an impressive 9.2 rebounds per game and more than half of them are on the offensive end. As many know, Thompson isn’t a guy who lashes out or questions authority. When it comes to attendance at work, he rarely misses a game (missing only four games in his last five seasons combined). It’s a quality that all NBA players should strive for.
He recently lost his starting role to forward Jae Crowder who was acquired in the Isaiah Thomas trade deal. The rotation shift puts Kevin Love at the center spot, displaying a small-ball lineup to kick off the season. Thompson wasn’t the only one to lose his starting role, because we could hear the frustration all the way from Cleveland from J.R Smith.
“Me and JR, we know what we’ve brought to this team, what we’ve done the last three years, being in three Finals,” Thompson told cleveland.com. “But at the end of the day, to win a championship you’ve got to sacrifice. We both know that and coming off the bench in that second unit, you gotta be a spark.”
Thompson’s attitude is one that doesn’t get much credit in today’s NBA, but to contend for a championship it’s all about sacrifice. Thompson’s presence on the court causes havoc for most teams, because no one can contain him in the paint. Don’t be surprised if Thompson makes his way back into a starting spot if things don’t go right with the small line-up. Rebounding hasn’t been Cleveland’s strong suit in the past, so this switch is an interesting one. Thompson is using his bench role as motivation to make an even bigger impact when he gets into the game.
At the end of the day we can all learn a little something from Tristan Thompson!
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