Tristan Thompson was one of the better rebounders in the league this season and has continued his success in the postseason.
The Cleveland Cavaliers big man averaged 9.2 rebounds per game during the regular season, which ranked 15th in the league. His 3.7 offensive boards per game was tied for fifth in the league during the regular season. His numbers in both categories have gone up this postseason as he’s sixth in rebounds and second in offensive rebounds.
Grabbing all those offensive boards isn’t just a matter of luck and effort for Thompson. He puts a lot of thought into it and plays the percentages on the offensive end.
“Just watching the ball and watching where guys shoot,” Thompson said of his methods, via Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “If a guy is shooting a shot in the corner 70 percent of the missed shots usually come off that other side and 30 percent hits off the front rim so just playing the percentages and kind of studying your teammates’ shots throughout the course of the game.
“For instance, a guy like Channing (Frye), if he misses a shot, he has a lot of arc on his shot so if he misses it’s probably going to be close. J.R. (Smith), his shot is not as much arc as Channing so if he misses it might be a little more long rebound. Just understanding your teammates. I’m hoping they make every shot. If not, I tell them, ‘Don’t worry, there’s a good chance I will be able to get that offensive rebound.'”
Clearly Thompson treats rebounding like a science, which helps explain why he’s so good at it. His comments also make you wonder how many other players view rebounding in the same way.
In addition to what Thompson shared about his secrets, Cavs coach Ty Lue says Thompson treats every shot like a miss, which results in him putting a lot of effort into his rebounding attempts.
Having a player like Thompson who can create so many second chance opportunities probably gives the Cavs shooters a lot more confidence to take shots.
