Post by jhb on May 10, 2021 11:02:28 GMT -5
Tristan Thompson
PF
6'9"
230
20
Texas
Thompson plays like a much longer and taller man. His game is blue-collar, that of a transition threat and in the half-court, predominantly pick and roll center who sets hard screens and then rolls to the basket and finishes in traffic. Defensively he's a guy who can get his hands on some shots in the paint and will out-hustle opponents on the glass. The only problem is that he's 6'9" and while he does have great length and wingspan for that height, the height won't play as well as it should for his skillset at the next level. He's improved his body tremendously in his short time at Austin, adding good weight and shedding some of the bad he carried in his senior year of high school.
Offensively, Thompson has some work to do. His ability to score now mostly relies on his athleticism and his hustle. He beats opponents to the spots to find seams to score. He'll need more technique to be as effective at the next level, although he has a fairly soft touch and converts his opportunities well when he gets them. One of the biggest avenues for him to score in TMBSL is likely to be off of the offensive boards, as he has consistently shown he'll outwork everyone there. His jumper needs some work (a lot of work...his mechanics are poor and he was sub-.500 from the charity stripe) and if he could expand his range then defenders might not be able to sag off him so hard and clog the lane for his teammates. He does not play with the ball in his hands often.
Defensively, Thompson projects to be a pretty good defender. His athleticism and length give him the upside to become a rim protector, but his height should temper those expectations somewhat. He might not be able to get to many of the shots when he's a primary defender just because of that size disadvantage but it won't stop him from being an effective helpside defender. And while he's a tremendous offensive rebounder, the effort appeared to wane at times on the defensive boards. That's one potential worry many scouts have...while most of Thompson's value revolves around his effort play there are times when that effort is inconsistent, many have noticed that when he gets engaged in the game and gets in the box score early he has his biggest games. So it will be very important for him to be in a situation that prioritizes him getting into the flow of the game to maximize his potential.
One person in his own inner circle even told scouts in addition to the questions about consistent effort that they should be ready for him to not be very loyal.
