The Cavs passed on Jonas Valanciunas and drafted Tristan Thompson. Here is our draft profile on Tristan Thompson. I do not like this pick.
About The Site
Follow Me On Twitter
Archives
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
Categories
- 10 Things to Like
- 2010 Playoffs
- 5 on 5
- Actual Trade/Signing
- and Outliers
- Announcements
- Book Reviews
- Cameron's Corner
- Cavs: the Duels
- Colin Explains His Feelings with a Poem
- Conversations
- Draft Profiles
- Explicating the CBA
- Interviews
- Kevin's Summer Project
- Links To The Present
- Mailbag Time!
- Manifestos
- Multimedia
- Off-Season Moves
- Opinion
- Player Grades
- Podcasts
- Power Rankings of No Consequence To Anybody
- Previews
- Ranks
- Recaps
- Rookie Roundup
- Rumor!
- Ryan Hollins Fan Fiction
- Silly Posts To Help Us Cope
- The Coaching Situation
- The LeBron Situation
- Trends
- Uncategorized
The Lineup
Colin McGowan is the editor in chief of Cavs: The Blog. He has written for Deadspin, The Classical, and ESPN.com. You can contact him at colinsilasmcgowan@gmail.com or on Twitter @cs_mcgowan.
Kevin Hetrick is a contributing editor at Cavs: the Blog. He is a civil engineer who grew up in Northeast Ohio as a fan of the Cavs, Indians, and Browns. He now lives in Indianapolis. His email is hetrick46@gmail.com, and he's on Twitter at @hetrick46.
Tom Pestak is a staff writer at Cavs: the Blog. He's from the west side of Cleveland and lives and (mostly) dies by the success and (mostly) failures of his beloved teams. You can watch his fanaticism during Cavs games @tompestak.
Nate Smith is a staff writer at C:TB who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and moved to NE Ohio in 2000. He adopted the Cavs in 2003 and graduated from Kent State in 2009 with a BA in English. He can be contacted at oldseaminer@gmail.com or @oldseaminer on twitter.
Robert Attenweiler is a staff writer at Cavs: The Blog. Originally from OH, he's long made his home in NYC where he writes plays and screenplays (www.disgracedproductions.com) some of which end up being about Ohio, basketball or both. He has also written for The Classical and the blog Raising the Cadavalier. You can contact him at rattenweiler@gmail.com or @cadavalier.
Mallory Factor is the voice behind Cavs: The Podcast. By day Mallory works in fundraising and by night he runs a music business company. To see his music endeavors check out www.fivetracks.com. Hit him up at Malloryfactorii@gmail.com or @Malfii.
John Krolik is the editor emeritus of Cavs: The Blog. At present, he is pursuing a law degree at Tulane University. You can contact him at johnkrolik@gmail.com or @johnkrolik.
Cavalier Blogs and News
Favorites From Around The League
Follow Me On Twitter
General NBA
Other Places To Find My Work
-
The Comment Monster
A monster lives in the comments section of Cavs: The Blog, and he likes to feed on comments. We have very little idea about when he will strike. What we do know is that comments with 2 or more links will get filed into the spam folder, as will comments with foul or discriminatory language. The comment monster also seems to enjoy extra-long comments, so if you have a long comment, you may want to press copy before submitting a long comment and break it into multiple pieces if the monster eats it. If you are having particular trouble with the monster, email one of us and we will talk to him for you.
Fail. Why do we need the defensive version of JJ?
This is the pick that will decide Grants future as the Cavs GM…
I’m hoping he saw something nobody else did, cuz Thompson should have never been the 4th pick on any draft.
God I hope they’re trading this. This pick makes zero sense for the Cavs.
this pick sucks
If they plan on keeping him why not go for Williams and Walker/Knight?
Irving and Thompson is a 7 while Williams and Walker/Knight is a 8.5 imo.
Wtf wtf wtf!!!
Grant better be fired. This is ridiculous.
Booooooooo horrible pick! Please trade!
This is either a trade in the making or a pick driven by the stat geeks.
I sure hope Grant didn’t outsmart himself here. A player whose only offense is putbacks and being active around the hole is not what they need to go along with Varejao.
Man I’m hoping a trade is in the making.
This doesn’t make me like the pick any better, but FWIW, Woj tweets:
Thompson played Derrick Williams to stand-still in workouts and won Cavs over.
Chris Grant to David Stern: “Did we say Tristan? We meant KLAY Thompson. Our bad!”
hes going to be the fifth string pf:
behind hickson, verajeo, jamison, and sameuls
Sports Guy always talks about how teams need a VP of commons sense. This pick is prime example. If they’re getting a guy with no offensive ability, why not go crazy and get Biyambo? I’m betting they were picking this to trade back to Charlotte, and Toronto hosed them.
maybe they could trade thompson and sessions/davis for burks and kanter?
This draft sucked, but Grant could have thrown a dart with his eyes closed at 8 other players and had a more intelligent pick.
This is the type of pick that, if not traded, could set the Cavs back years in rebuilding. There is no way/shape/form Tristan Thompson should have been in the discussion @ #4 unless we were going to trade him. I’m still seething, cursing, and kicking my dog almost an hour later.
Oh well at least we got Irving
Cooley I’m with you man, this is just ridiculous.
Here’s to hoping I’m completely wrong.
irvings gonna get 0 assists this season with no one to pass to
After all the griping on this blog, and virtually everywhere, about the combined defense of Jamison and JJ, I hope this means the cabs have some sort of big trade, pairing him with sessions. I think Grant has his head on straight, but I think the raptors hamstrung his idea
how about this:
thomson, sessions, 2nd round pick for valancious
there’s such outrage, and we haven’t even seen this guy on the floor yet. it’s laughable.
i get it. krolik loves the idea that V could be so much more. But nobody knows. If Thompson did great in workouts against Kanter and Williams, and considering what he did against Williams in the tourney, I’m willing to give Grant the benefit of the doubt that measurables aren’t the only relevant consideration. Let’s be realistic. He plays the same position as JJ. He may be our replacement plan, and if we’re considering not paying JJ what he wants and letting him walk, then I don’t mind a guy sharing minutes at our strongest position and leaving us that much weaker across the lineup, thus increasing our chances to end up at the top of the lottery next year.
He has holes, but he has three skills already at a high level, even in the league. Rebouding, defense and shot blocking. Run some pick and rolls, do what Andy did his early years, and I can be patient with him jumper. But he best practice some FT shooting quick.
Well as far as worthy starters … we now have 4 PGs and 4 PFs … and 3 holes. Going into the draft, I had talked myself into Jonas, but was hoping for Kanter. I just didn’t want the Cavs to overthink themselves and reach … which is promptly what they did.
Bob … I’ll definitely give the guy a chance, but it’s just a big head scratcher. We already have 3 guys that can play PF, one being a project. And we draft … another project PF. The Irving pick at least makes sense, because he’s a big upgrade over everyone else at that position.
Unless Toronto just hung us out to dry on a potential trade (which is a big possibility), this screams at me that Dan Gilbert influenced this pick. I’m still kicking my dog, bitch deserved it.
My money’s with HoopsDogg–what do they call them in Canada? The Raptors are hosers for what they did. For all we know, this is their hate for us taking Thompson (a Canadian) before they could.
To those thinking that Thompson’s selection means we will not be competitive this year, why not reaally reach and draft guys whop aren’t even draft eligible?
Poor Tristan Thompson. If he doesn’t turn into an All-Star, I will hate him forever. This is what happens when you get too cute with your picks.
I keep seeing guys drafted in the teens and now 20s that I’d rather have than Tristan Thompson.
I mean I’m no more certain he’ll be good then most here seem to be that he’ll be bad, but I’ll just point out how pissed people were with JJ Hickson being taken a few years ago. NOBODY had him going 19. And just some of the names people wanted ahead of him (speaking vast majority here)….
Kosta Koufus
Ryan Anderson
Darrell Arthur
Donte Greene
Chris Douglas Roberts
Deandre Jordan
Courtney Lee
But guess what it worked out. And what did we know about him then. We knew he was a competent post up big who couldn’t foul shoot and didn’t play d. What he did have though was an NBA frame, and NBA athleticism.
I’ll reserve judgment until we see what happens, but I honestly feel like the reason everyone gets so let down, is because they just want to believe that somehow the foreign guys offer more then the american class of players who admittedly don’t have a lot of star power. That doesn’t mean they won’t be good pros though. Thirteen and 7 is nothing to balk out from a freshman on a deep team.
@HoopsDogg. Just wait until you see that we could have had JaJuan Johnson with our next pick (in the 30s!)… a guy with more upside than Thomspon.
This is the type of picks the Browns repeatedly make because they try to overstep their pay grade and make the highlight pick instead of going with conventional wisdom.
You always pick a franchise center over an under-sized power forward. Always!
@ Bob
But he was a pick at 19.
This is the 4th pick.
We could have gotten a much better guy here. JJ was a sleeper and was a nice pick at 19 but we should have gotten a better guy with the 4th pick. Cavs did take a step back with the rebuilding process. I dont see this guy having any benifits for the Cavs unless he is used in a trade.
I keep hoping for a trade… but it’s not looking good.
Passing on a franchise center for yet another undersized power forward. Nicee
Ugh. Monster pickup for the Celtics getting Marshon Brooks, a potential lottery pick at 25. He should be able to back up the 3 and 4 right away. Danny Ainge has to be ecstatic.
Please fans, none of you have ever seen this guy play or any of the other players available play since they were all international players. Thompson was in for two workouts, so they see something in him. Its a week draft, there is no stars – so best to get a depth style player with some toughness inside.
Relax and give the kid a chance.
wow Thompson at 4 is just awful. At least it’s better than what Minnesota did.
It doesn’t really matter whether he ends up being a decent Player or not. The cavs drafted someone they don’t need. Therefore wasting the 4th pick. Can’t be happy as a cavs fan right now
I like numbers and evidence, so if the stats guys can support it, so can I. I’m certainly not convinced any other pick was heads and tails better. It’s great to say “take a franchise center,” but I don’t see any sure things out there…
Take a look at the comparable players who rated like Thompson over the past 10 years, I think you’d be pleasantly surprised.
What are the odds we take another point guard at 32?
Thompson won them over by going toe to toe with Williams in workouts. Plus he held them to 4-14 shooting in the NCAA Tourney. Hollinger had him rated the #3 overall pick in the draft and Seth Davis said he has a “motor” on defense. Can’t argue with that. Plus, rightfully so, Krolik preaches defense, defense, defense…Well, that’s Thompson’s specialty. Grant and Co. have seen these guys play and probably knows more than us. However, the JJ similarities are there so not sure what to make of that. It would be great if Jamison could also be moved but who knows now. Jonas couldn’t have given us anything this year anyways, so Thompson may be a safer bet.
Unless any of you are NBA scouts or have similar credentials please stfu until you at least see the guy play. Anyone see our defense last year? Horrendous. This kid is young and we obviously won’t be contending next year and the draft is stacked. Maybe see him play first before judging…especially when you are crying for international players in lieu of him (because they have had such a good track record…not)
They didn’t draft someone they don’t need. We have JJ and Andy (and they also happen to be our two most movable guys). Giving Hollins major minutes was an abomination. Thompson has an immediate place in a rotation, with the chance to step in and take over if we move either guy. It at least gives us a little more peace of mind if we ship out Andy to someone who can take advantage of his intangibles while he’s in his prime.
I’d ask most of you who are killing this pick this. Ruling out foreigners, who we all know pretty much nothing about, who was better for the Cavs of the collegiate guys that they could have taken?
I refuse to accept that V was somehow a sure thing until we actually see it. Until then I’ll take actual production coupled with NBA athleticism. He’s gonna be practicing against a great offesnsive PF and defensive PF/C everyday and what better way to be ready to step in. V might not even get here til the cupboard is bare in our frontcourt. (we may have already dumped or traded hickson or Andy by then).
Plus, it just occured to me that I think Byron Scott is not a big JJ fan. I bet he saw more hunger and drive in Thompson in a few workouts then he saw all season from JJ. Just a thought…
I would like to know a few things from the mind of Christ Grant.
1. Does he think that Thompson will be better than JJ Hickson in 3 years?
2. Does he think Thompson will be better than Jonas in 3 years?
3. Is Thompson really a rotation player on a championship team? I say no.
Sooo… Who to take at 32? Jeremy Tyler?
He is a LeBron stopper!!
@Carter
1.) Maybe not. But he won’t be demading 10 plus million a hard cap league, and he wasn’t in a draft that was as deep as JJ’s. (Rose, Westbrook, Love, Gordon, Lopez)
2.) I’d be willing to bet Thompson will have contributed more in 3 years then Jonas. One because Jonas won’t be here this year. And two, because he’s too light still to not be a defensive liability against the best centers. Maybe in 10 years Jonas is the clear better player. Maybe. But in three, I like my chances with Thompson’s contributions on the floor outweighing Jonas. And we all know what can happen after guys get good in Cleveland. We’re guaranteed four years with these guys. That’s it. We all hope for more.
3.) I’d say yes. And I’d ask you “do you really think Jonas is one of the top 10 centers in this league over the length of this career. After seeing MANY flame out. (milicic, vasquez, ajinca, etc) I’ll believe it when it happens.
Actually really like Justin Harper. He’s kind of a sleeper and a poor man’s Derrick Williams, and hey, we have 6 power forwards now!
WTF. ANOTHER PF.