CLEVELAND: Tristan Thompson started and ended his night in new roles Monday. He came off the bench for the first time in more than a month, then became the offensive hero with a go-ahead basket in the final minute to beat the Indiana Pacers.
The new role as a reserve is long term. The role he shared with Matthew Dellavedova, as role players coming up with big baskets, was a welcomed change for a team that too often becomes reliant on LeBron James to bail them out offensively.
Thompson is versatile enough to adjust to any role the Cavaliers throw at him, so they’re moving him back into the role where he started the year. He had 14 points and 11 rebounds in Monday’s win over the Pacers, including a big block and the key basket after he replaced Kevin Love for defensive purposes.
“It’s all about winning games,” Thompson said. “If it means coming off the bench or starting, whatever it takes to win. My role doesn’t change. Come in and play hard.”
The switch to Timofey Mozgov from Thompson will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Coach Tyronn Lue originally committed to Thompson as his starter because he performed better in that role. After watching it for a few weeks, however, Lue believes Thompson was wearing down having to grind against some of the league’s bigger centers. He’s not the first Cavs coach to feel that way.
Thompson never misses a game, as proven by his streak of 347 consecutive games played. But all of those games and all those minutes can be taxing. Previous Cavs coaches also noticed Thompson wearing down defensively in March, particularly on certain pick-and-roll coverages.
Since the Cavs hope to be playing for another three-plus months, Lue is trying to eliminate some of the wear and tear on Thompson while also looking to him to provide a spark off the bench. The Cavs don’t have many energy reserves, particularly since Anderson Varejao is now with the Golden State Warriors.
“Teams are hitting him with two or three bodies to keep him off the offensive glass,” Lue said. “It’s been tough on him. I just thought at times having to guard those big centers to start the game just kind of wears him down a little bit throughout the course of the game. It’s kind of tough on him because he’s truly a [power forward].”
Thompson’s go-ahead basket in the final minute Monday, which followed a clutch 3-pointer from Dellavedova that tied the game, were good indicators for a Cavs team that has often become too reliant on James.
The Cavs are 3-12 since last season in games James doesn’t play and there are more nights off to come. James wasn’t sure yet which nights he was taking off between now and the regular season, but Lue reiterated again James would sit out more games over the final six weeks.
His absence alone is not a good enough reason not to win. Lue pointed to the San Antonio Spurs, who routinely win games while resting their stars. The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers have beaten the Cavs this season with their best players out of the lineup. Yet the Cavs can never seem to figure out how to thrive without James.
Games like Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Washington Wizards, who make a return trip to Quicken Loans Arena on Friday, only adds to the pressure James feels to do a little more.
“It’s my job description,” James said. “To do a little more.”
The Cavs begin their final full month before the playoffs hoping for more success than they had in February, when they went 8-5 and suffered a handful of bad losses. Time is running out to build those habits James is always talking about and all of the key parts on this team have already acknowledged this is a team that only plays its best when they’re left with no way out.
“It’s a gift and a curse,” said J.R. Smith, the team’s harshest critic following the loss to the Wizards. “We can’t be a front-running team. That’s not the team, that’s not the identity that we want. We’ve just got to be consistent.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.