A silver lining for the struggling, hobbling Cleveland Cavaliers: There’s no dissension among players. With the newly acquired Timofey Mozgov reportedly replacing him in the starting lineup, big man Tristan Thompson has taken his benching in stride.
A source told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group that Mozgov – for whom the Cavs paid the Denver Nuggets two first round picks earlier this week – will be in Cleveland’s starting lineup once he’s available to play. That’s not surprising – Mozgov is the Cavs’ top rim-protector and a far better fit alongside Kevin Love than Thompson.
What’s so encouraging is Thompson’s reaction to the news. It was just two weeks ago that the third-year player was coming off the bench behind the injured Anderson Varejao, and he’s hardly struggled since: He’s averaged 12.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on 50.6 percent shooting in the interim. And from a big picture perspective, Thompson has extra incentive to start because he’s a free agent this summer, too.
But he’s unconcerned by all of that. Thompson just wants to win, and understands the attributes Mozgov brings to the table that he and his other teammates don’t.
When [Thompson] was told of the demotion, that was the extent of the conversation, the source said.
He didn’t have any gripes. His only concern is doing what’s best for the team. Not only is his talent of extreme value, but also his character.
“I’ve come off the bench most of the season,” Thompson said. “Whatever it takes for us to win. [I’ll] come out and join the bench mob again. Bring the energy with myself, Delly [Matthew Dellavedova] and all the other guys so that’s a role that I embrace and I’m trying to be the X-factor.”
It is anticipated that Mozgov will drastically improve the team’s defense at the rim. Thompson believes so, too.
“He’s big, he’s seven-foot, he’s long, takes up space and he blocks shots,” Thompson said of Mozgov. “Playing with LeBron [James] and Kyrie [Irving] is only going to benefit him and we need a guy like that here.”
What a mature take from Thompson. It would be easy for him to be frustrated by this turn of events – he wanted to start before the season, performed well when given the chance, and is now headed back to the bench. That process can’t be easy.
But Thompson, ever the team player, is making Cleveland’s midseason overhaul as easy as possible. For a team in a state of major flux, that positivity can’t go unnoticed.
The new-look Cavs – still minus LeBron James – face-off against the Warriors at 10:30 EST on ESPN.
What do you think?
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