6. Control the Glass
Down in the post, Cavs center Tristan Thompson is notorious for his hard work and excellence as an offensive rebounder.
In fact, Thompson was tied for fifth in the NBA with Los Angeles Clippers All-Star center DeAndre Jordan in offensive rebounding in the regular season with 3.7 offensive boards per game.
During the first three rounds of the playoffs, Thompson was extremely productive on defense and provided an extra boost on offense with 9.3 rebounds and 9.2 points per game in 13 contests.
The Cavs’ fourth overall pick from the 2011 NBA Draft is going to have his hands full in the paint with players like Golden State small forward Draymond Green, who was dangerous all across the stat sheet during the regular season as he averaged 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocked shots in 32.5 minutes per game.
Thompson, Love, James and other Cavs must be able to outrebound the likes of Green, Durant and Golden State starting center Zaza Pachulia in order to prevent second-chance points.
Next:Â Better Bench Play
