Tristan Thompson leads Cavaliers' deep, efficient bench
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers backup forward Tristan Thompson might be the highest paid janitor in North America.
Whether it's cleaning up ever-important offensive and defensive rebounds or preventing on-court messes, Thompson relishes his role as reserve who doesn't need plays called for him and is content doing what is necessary.
"It's like a company," Thompson explained with metaphorical brilliance. "You have your sanitation workers. You have your janitor. Your CEO. You have your secretaries. I don't mind being the clean-up guy, punching the clock. I'll do all the little things.
"I'll be a janitor forever. There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their place in the factory. I don't mind doing the little things. That's what it takes to win and be great."
Thompson, who finished fifth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, had 12 points and six rebounds in Cleveland's 113-100 victory against the Boston Celtics Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference series.
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"Double T always comes in with the activity in the world," LeBron James said. "He gives us extra possessions, screen-and-rolls, he catches lobs. He does so many great things for us."
Thompson is about to get an increase in his hourly wage. He likely will be a restricted free agent in July, and he will be rewarded. It doesn't hurt that James' agent (Rich Paul) is also Thompson's agent.
Not only did Cleveland's Big 3 (James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love) perform in Game 1, the Cavaliers' bench delivered, answering another question surrounding Cleveland and its pursuit for an NBA championship. When necessary, Cleveland's non-starters are capable of production. But the Cavaliers do not have a traditional bench when it comes to minutes or scoring.
The Cavaliers rank last in bench points per game (26.5) and the bench average 16.3 minutes, 25th in the NBA. But the reserves maintain offensive production while in the game, scoring 105.1 points per 100 possessions, just two points less than the team's overall offensive efficiency.
"All we ask out of our bench is to defend, and to give us high energy. Everything else is always extra credit for us," James said.
Do the Cavaliers have the kind of bench that can make a difference in the playoffs? "First of all, they've got good depth. They've got a good group of basketball players," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "Secondly, everyone's better when they're playing with those guys."
Depth is so important in extending leads, cutting deficits or simply maintaining the status quo while some starters rest. Benches mean different things to different teams. Sometimes, it's important to have reserves who score considerably, such as Boston's bench which averaged a league-best 41.4 points. Cleveland does not need the same from its reserves.
In Sunday's Game 1 opener, Shumpert and Thompson played more minutes than usual because they were better matchups (instead of Cleveland starters J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov) against the Celtics.
Shumpert had seven points and six rebounds, and James Jones had eight points, including six on two of his high-arcing three-point shots. Jones' minutes fluctuate, but a veteran and winner of two titles with the Miami Heat during four years as James' teammate there, Jones is a professional and ready to play.
"He's been waiting on this moment for a long time, the opportunity to play in the postseason," James said. "I know what he's capable of doing. I've been with him for so long now. For him to have a moment like that last night, I was extremely happy for him."
Shawn Marion played 52 seconds, but in the final 32 seconds of the third quarter, he had two steals and one led to a Jones three on an assist from Dellavedova.
"I thought the most important guy off the bench was Trix (Marion's nickname)," James said. "Trix coming in for those seconds at the end of the third and gives us back-to-back steals. And those possessions count. Especially in the postseason, where every possession is very important. And the start of the fourth, he just sits back down. That's just a true professional right there."
Dellavedova, who brings boundless energy, is a Blatt favorite, doing what is asked and not trying to do more. He was a plus-10 in his nine minutes.
Mike Miller, who didn't play in Game 1, is another player who is expected to contribute, even it's just a timely three. And even though he didn't play, Kendrick Perkins had pregame words about the idea of "team."
"He has a voice in our locker room. He has a voice on our bench," James said. "We all respect that."
There's no guarantee a bench player will have a big game, but the Cavs trust the collective effort will be enough.
"It's more than just intangibles, although intangibles are a very, very important element," Cavs coach David Blatt said. "But, no, you need performance. You need substance, and we got it."
