Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson is a rookie and not ready for a starting position according to coach Byron Scott. With Anderson Varejao out for an indefinite period of time, Thompson could find himself getting more minutes than he is used to.
As stated, coach Scott said he is not ready to put Thompson into the starting lineup just yet. This means that either Ryan Hollins, Semih Erden or Samardo Samuels will assume the role of starting center. If history repeats itself, none of these guys will get lengthy periods of play. This is where Thompson comes in. He is built to transition into the center role. Keep in mind that Varejao started as a power forward before transitioning to the center position.
It is no doubt that Thompson needs to work on his shooting, especially at the free throw line. However, on the defensive end he has been pretty solid and is only getting better.
While he is only averaging 6.8 points per game, he is averaging 5.3 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game. This is with an average of just 18 minutes per game.
"I want to keep him coming off the bench for right now," remarked coach Scott. "That was his first game back...he did pretty good. But he missed a while and I want him to get a few more practices in and get his timing back."
Thompson is currently ranked number one in rebounds and number two in blocks among the NBA's rookies.
This is Thompson's opportunity to shine and really show coach Scott, the fans and himself exactly what he is capable of. Losing Varejao for the time being is a huge blow to the Cavs, but this is also a huge opportunity for the rookie power forward to find his best place with the team.
R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. She was raised a Cavs' fan and has remained loyal through all of the teams ups and downs. She remains confident that the Cavs will bring home a championship at some point in her life. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen
