7 Reasons Cleveland Cavaliers Will Win Back-to-Back Championships

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6. Thompson on the Glass

Tristan Thompson rebounding Warriors

After sitting out the last few regular season games this year due to injury, Tristan Thompson has come back with a vengeance on the boards. Averaging 10.6 rebounds in the team’s eight playoff games, Thompson has been especially effective on the offensive side, collecting 39 of his 85 boards on that side to give his team plenty of second-chance shots.

The Cavaliers managed an 18-5 record when Thompson reached double-digits in rebounds in his two previous playoff runs. Four of those losses came in the 2015 NBA Finals, when the absence of Kevin Love put a huge burden on Thompson. That’s something that he presumably won’t have to deal with during the rest of this postseason.

Next: Greater Depth


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Brad Sullivan is a lead writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has spent much of life in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and has remained a Cavalier fan from their 1970 beginnings through the return of LeBron James. While that fandom was sorely tested during the Reign of Error known simply by one word, Stepien, that overall historical perspective will be part of his writing for Cavaliers Nation in the months ahead.