Tristan Thompson ready to be the leader for Cleveland Cavaliers – NBA Update
After spending just one year in the NBA, Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers thinks that he is ready to be a leader for his team.
He was drafted by the Cavs last year as the 4th overall selection and along with rookie of the year Kyrie Irving, put up some excellent performances in the rookie season.
Tristan was given the starting nod following the injury to Anderson Varejao, and the 21 year old did not disappoint at all. He held an average of 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds and thinks he can improve his numbers by taking the next
step in his Cleveland career.
"I think I need to take a bigger leadership role," Thompson said. "[With] Kyrie and myself coming in here, we've got a lot of young guys, so we're almost like the veterans.”
"We've got to come in here and show them the ropes, show them right from wrong, really build chemistry."
Tristan, who many analysts thought did not merit that high a pick last year, had to get acquainted to being a professional basketball player at a much faster pace then he would have expected, given the lack of team interaction
in the off season and Cleveland’s injury struggles in the shortened season.
But, he believes that coming from a good college program helped him cope-up with the situation and helped him become a better player.
"I think this year's schedule is something that a lot of rookies didn't expect," Thompson said. "The rest time was to a minimum, I didn't expect that ... We all came from great colleges and played under great coaches so basketball-wise,
I don't think it was that different."
Along with Kyrie Irving and this year’s fourth pick Dion Waiters, Thompson makes the foundation of the Cleveland franchise.
With Anderson Varejao in trade rumours, the Cavaliers are willing to count on Thompson this season, and next season might just be the opportunity the highest drafted Canadian ever, needs to strike big. He has been impressive in
the recently concluded Summer League and with a talented rookie centre Tyler Zeller alongside, Thompson can start something wonderful for the Cavs.
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