Thompson promises better things
Cavaliers centre offers harsh self-assessment ahead of Sunday’s Game 2
OAKLAND— Tristan Thompson took but a split second to offer a rather blunt assessment of his play in Game 1 of the NBA final.
“Trash,” the Cleveland Cavaliers centre said before taking another second or two to consider his response one more time. “Trash.” That self-appraisal might be a bit harsh, but it’s not too far off the mark, because grabbing just four rebounds and failing to score in 22 minutes of Cleveland’s 113-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors just isn’t good enough.
Thompson knows, his teammates know, his coaches know and the Warriors know that he has to have a far greater impact if the Cavaliers are to make a series out of the final that resumes here Sunday night.
The Canadian star has to create extra possessions on the offensive glass, he has to protect the rim defensively, grab boards to get the Cavaliers going in transition and he has to at least neutralize Golden State’s Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee. He did none of that in Game 1. “They’re doing a good job of hitting him with two or three bodies to keep him off the offensive glass,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said. “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.”
Thompson’s blunt self-assessment was borne primarily of feeling the Cavs weren’t entirely ready for the speed of a game against the Warriors nor the intensity. It’s impossible to work in practice against the pace of Golden State, and Cleveland didn’t handle the transition game nearly well enough.
“This team, playing against the Warriors, you just can’t play hard,” Thompson said. “You have to play at a level that’s past thermostat, it’s a different level with this team. Guys got reminded of that, I got reminded of that, against this team you’ve got to go balls out.”
Thompson’s ability to control the defensive glass is a huge key for Cleveland and its desire to push the ball. The Warriors got 14 offensive rebounds in Game 1 and allowing them to have extra possessions is a recipe for disaster, given their offensive abilities.
“So if we limit them to one shot per possession, we can control the pace a lot better and honestly still play at a high tempo,” Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving said. “We’re both high-tempo teams, but they play running to the three-point line as well as going for dunks. We can play at a high tempo as well as in transition and in halfcourt.”
The Warriors expect to see a different Cavaliers team in Sunday’s Game 2, a team that will be more aggressive, tugging a bit more at jerseys to impede the Warriors’ pick-and-roll offence, a team that will hit a bit more, be more physical.
“They will be way more physical,” Kevin Durant said. “They’re going to be way more aggressive in the pickand-roll on the offensive end and defensively.
“They’re going to try to get more offensive rebounds. They’re just going to muck the game up and be physical.” That would suit Thompson fine. “It’s going to be a wrestling match, like WWE down there,” he said.