2011 NBA Draft | Round 1, Pick 1 | Kyrie Irving, PG – Duke
June 23, 2011With 32nd pick, the Cavaliers Select……Who?
June 23, 2011With the fourth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Texas power forward Tristan Thompson.
Rated third overall by John Hollinger, Thompson was anticipated to be Chris Grant’s fallback option in the event that they were either unsure of Jonas Valanciunas’ buyout or felt that the team could ultimately send Thompson to a team who was coveting his 7-foot-1-inch wingspan.
Keep an eye on Chris Grant as the first round weighs on – the Cavs are heavily speculated to be trading back in the later half and could even make a move within the top 10. Of course, this may also signal the end of the JJ Hickson era in Cleveland.
50 Comments
FAIL
/reserving the right to walk this back if there’s a trade
Why fail besides the fact we have JJ?
I second that: FAIL
And he was like the 7th best guy available and we have no centers and there was a center available?
[edit] Yes, I know Hollinger had him rated highly, but…
Well, I am seriously disappointed. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson is less of a combo than Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight. I value Kyrie marginally better than Brandon Knight, but Derrick Williams is twice the player that Tristan Thompson is. They dropped the ball.
I feel like a kid who just had his balloon popped. It’s hard to be excited about a guy who nobody expected you to pick…
This is indefensible. This was indefensible yesterday when they came up with this idea. This will be indefensible tomorrow when they realize they are picked the 13th best player in the draft at #4. This will be indefensible when they trade JJ Hickson for a bag of wheat. This will be REALLY indefensible in two years.
I hate this. This is what you get when you panic about a contract dispute in a lockout year.
Epically bad
here’s a repost of what I said about Tristan this morning. I want to say I do like the kid. really do. just that, well I don’t think he was the 3rd best guy in the draft. hopefully, this isn’t going to end up being a Shelden Williams selection.
here is what I had to say before I knew he was the pick:
i’ve been forcefed alot of Tristan and Hamilton here in Austin. while I want no part of Hamilton (he’ll be able to score, but he’s way too apathetic on defense and he has Josh Smith disease when it comes to shot-selection), I do like Tristan.
However, the #4 pick in the draft for Tristan? I haven’t seen anything that makes me think he’ll be worth that selection. Even in this weak draft.
Here’s more detail into what I have seen/heard here with Tristan:
He’s apparently an incredibly hard worker. And if you saw him his first year to today the best way to demonstrate that is how he went from looking like a Glen Davis clone to being the sculpted beast he is now. Also, on the court, he’s always hustling and moving and barking out commands to teammates. Not in the over-the-top Garnett fashion but you can tell he was the leader for the Longhorns this past year. His newfound strength allowed him to overpower guys for position in the post. I am not sure if he’ll be able to do this as easily in the NBA because he won’t have that advantage (he struggled against the Morris twins for instance). Also, he’s a lefty, which teams either didn’t always properly scout/prepare because there were times it took awhile for teams to adjust to it (Perry Jones, I see you). He can also run the fastbreak really well for a big man and also was good at getting the outlet pass off a rebound to the proper guys.
The issues with him are one that while he’s strong, he’s also going to be undersized at PF. the undersized PFs in the NBA generally are not “power” guys, but that is Tristan’s game (extremely poor man’s Charles Barkely). And, it’s not like that is going to change anytime soon because his outside/midrange shot is so ugly that he could go to Shawn Marion for pointers. And that extends to his FTs too.
all that said, I do like him and he would be a fine selection. if we were drafting in the later part of the top10. at #4, we have to get someone with a higher ceiling (IMO).
Big setback
I had never even heard of this guy till it was posted on here we might be interested in him. How does it always happen you hear about the top draft picks in whatever sport, and then right before draft time some random person shoots up the board with no explanation. I’d have rather had Irving and Jonas, Kanter and Knight, Williams and Knight… The analysis on this guy is he doesn’t score well, if we wanted a defensive guy who rebounds why not Bismack?? I agree with the FAIL
‘OH GOD WE’RE ALL DOOMED’ – everyone
Why do you post things like that, Deny?
@Tron – if you don’t know who Tristan Thompson is, and would’ve preferred Jonas Marciolianaianans or Bisquick Eyenega, you clearly spend more time reading blogs than watching basketball, b/c Texas hovered around #1 in the NCAA until January, and played an epic game v Arizona in the tournament.
Now if you’re questioning whether Thompson has shown enough of an offensive game to warrant his pick, I agree.
would have rather gone with Vessley
time will tell
In this draft, I just have this feeling someone of the D-Wade/K-Durant type is lurking in the top 10.. No idea who it will be as of yet, he will explode out in a year or 2 and become a superstar. Hoping that the Cavs didn’t miss him.
@Mike, last I checked we just drafted Tristan Thompson, NOT the Texas Longhorns. Yea, they were a good team, and the dude we got wasn’t even their best player all year long. As for your epic game against Arizona, maybe you should check his stat lines. they look like:
36Min, 1-4 shooting, 1-2 from the stripe, 6 rebonds, no assts, 4 blocks, 3 points.
Not really the production I’m looking for out of a #4 pick but you go ahead and drink that kool-aid.
I feel like @14 Mike’s comment would carry more weight if he didn’t needlessly mock non-Americans’ names. However, I agree with his stance that Tristan Thompson is a well known NCAA player, and perhaps worth a Top 10 pick, though not a Top 5 pick.
I can’t picture TT taken before #7 or #8 (despite Hollinger) and think the Cavs could’ve put together an enticing trade package to get extra picks along with TT or something, but then Charlotte goes 3-team trade to get the #7 and we do nothing. Strange.
(Also, Denny: please stop shining the harsh light of perspective on our catastrophes.)
@Tron – C’mon, pay attention. I’m not defending the pick, but you said “I had never even heard of this guy till it was posted on here we might be interested in him.” Not sure how you missed the starting 4/5 of a former #1 NCAA team but kept up with a couple of 19 year-olds from the Congo & Lithuania.
KOOL-AID!
Matt –
Sorry, I was trying to make a point and I think I failed. I have no idea if Thompson’s the right pick – there are obvious questions about his offensive game and his jump shot (if ESPN asks if your jump shot is now NBA ready, YOU SAY YES!).
You’re right Mike, it’s my bad I have to read blogs and NBA draft analysts opinions and scouting reports because I don’t have time to follow every NCAA team out there. Sorry dude, some of us have jobs and can’t watch tv 24/7.
@20 Mike: I’m with you man, I think there are arguments for his being great (see Hollinger) and arguments for “just good”. He’s most likely a starter on most teams, and we both seem to agree that the question was the “at #4” not the “will he start?”
I also agree that he is a well known talent (despite evidence of a bad game here and there) and it shouldn’t be a COMPLETE surprise that he was selected, since he got a workout.
It was a somewhat of a surprise, though.
Until then:
http://allball.blogs.nba.com/2011/06/17/im-not-certain-this-will-come-in-handy-but-its-impressive/
His offense consists of put-backs. That’s it. He is nowhere near as athletic as JJ and his ceiling is likewise nowhere near as high. Further, he’s too small to play the five so he literally has no spot on this team as currently constructed. He won’t get PT over Andy, JJ, or Antawn.
Scratching my head on this one. Only makes sense if the Cavs have a trade in the works for Thompson or JJ.
@Tron – Tristan was their best player all year long. definitely not Jordan Hamilton who the locals here both love and hate.
This is what I was afraid of they should have just drafted the Lithuanian kid. If it wasn’t painfully obvious before it should be now: whenever there is next season it’s year one of what will probably be a three to four year plan. I’m not a fan of it and never will be but that’s how it goes.
I struggle with the fact that everybody questions the pick, yet most of you have no idea what his game looks like. I will reserve my judgement after a couple of years of basketball on the court. Who cares where guys are drafted. Unlike the NFL the investment is marginal. Do you recall where Dirk was drafted, Deron Williams, Kevin Love, or how about Paul Pierce. Im not comparing Tristan by any means to them… My point is that players earn their value on the court, not based on where they were drafted.
Just wondering how many of the people hating on this pick have actually seen him play. I would say he is nearly as athletic at JJ with a 38 inch vertical and is 10x’s the defensive player. I’m fine with the pick given who was still there. Trading down would have been ideal but that takes another team willing to deal which isn’t easy to find.
Everyone chill the f*** out. We are tanking it for Harrison Barnes!
/
“Tristan is a great friend of mine, and just having another fellow freshman being drafted to Cleveland, I’m really looking forward to it,” Irving said. “Having somebody alongside you that will go through the rookie ups and downs with you, it will make the transition into the N.B.A. that much easier.”
I like the C’s pick!
ugh! i saw norris cole go to chicago on the nba.com ticker and was so happy they kept him from miami.
then read chicago traded the pick to minny who traded the pick to miami (stupid, stupid, stupid)
i am full-on hoping for the lebron for dwight trade. i don’t want to root against norris.
cmon Honeycutt, cmon now.
Forget the Cavs – how about Norris Cole winding up with LeChoke and Satan’s Minions in Miami?!?!
and we take harper at 32? did grant go to the kahn school of building a team? we’re all PFs and PGs?
Another PF in round 2, Justin Harper. I guess Hickson and Varejao werent cutting it.
AV is a center. just can’t hang with dwight, not many can.
but, jamison, jj, tristan, harper are all PFs
Looks like we’ll be having a fire sale soon, and Byron will get all new players to build a team from the ground up?
Varejao is a C here not many other places. C’mon now!
I mean, seriously, are we going to trade everybody for draft picks in next year’s (deeper) draft?
whatever shamrock. your C’s would have killed to have AV at center this past postseason.
Lol mgbode I’d. rather lose to Miami and win a Stanley Cup then have Varejao.
super suck
Grant has got to go. This may be the worst use of draft picks in the last 20 years. First Tristan then trading away a high 2nd (Harper) for a bucket of balls and then drafting a Euro at 54 at a position that you just over-drafted on with the #4 pick. Why not take a flyer on Lighty or E. Moore at that spot given they play positions of NEED.
Does anyone see a bright side? A possible logic? A hidden plan? A conspiracy involving the Masons… anything? Because this team now has four, maybe five power forwards better than ANY of its small forwards, centers or shooting guards, only one of which (AV) is even a candidate to fill in at one of the other positions. If you did this in any other sport you would literally end up forfeiting games. And what do you think GMs negotiating with the Cavs are going to say from here out? How are they (the Cavs) going to get good value when they are negotiating from triplicate at point and quintuplitude (sp!) at PF? And not even acquiring a token role player in the 2nd round to even create the possibility of improvement at one of the vacuum positions!? In that way they might have done more damage tonight than it would have seemed possible to do a few hours ago. Its like watching someone stock pile canned goods for a fallout shelter who forgets to bring in a canned opener- or a knife- or even sharp rock.
How common are trades immediately following the draft? On paper, this makes no sense – JJ and TT can’t coexist. Neither are big enough to be a reliable, everyday center. If we can trade JJ for the right pieces (JJ and AV for Andrea Bargnani, esp. considering Raps drafted Jonas, makes sense; I’d love to see it), this makes sense. I have to believe there’s more to this move than what’s on the surface.
So instead of Thompson we could have used a Center, Small Forward or Shooting Guard… and I honestly believe he was taken to be traded to the Pistons or Wizards. Then the Raptors surprised everyone. They already have Bargani, so why take a center? Who knows, but it screwed everything up for us. I really believe that Thompson will be traded. Sometimes when you gamble you get burned, this was a gamble to get the Lithuanian lower and pick up and extra selection by taking someone else’s guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43SrYmqE9K8&feature=related
86.5″ wingspan. Yeah for real. Even if you keep him, slide Varajao, JJ, and Twan around the PF and C positions. Put in Andy and Twan you have instant offense. JJ and Thompson for defense or a combo of the two.
The rest of the draft is a total flop unless we can deal next years 3 second rounders and the trade exemption for another player or a first rounder.
The pick at 54, yeah I don’t understand it… should have been Lighty. Twan or Tristan will be dealt at some point, hopefully Twan.
@AJ If you’re right (and you very well could be) the pick at 54 will be traded to the raptors, they love international players.
JJ, Ramon Sessions, 54th pick to raptors for Bargani.
The saddest part of the draft is that my boy Norris Cole has to go play with Lebron… I feel bad for him.
Shamrocks right to post should be revoked for his last comment…
I thought Tristan Thompson was a great pick. For one, NBA power forwards aren’t 6’11” anymore… most of them are 6’9″ like Thompson. Second, most of what I’m hearing from guys like Hollinger and Chad Ford says that height doesn’t matter nearly as much as your standing reach. Guy has a 9’1″ standing reach and a 7’2″ wingspan… pretty solid. Third, rebounding (particularly offensive rebounding) is the stat that translates best to the next level. The guy averaged 4 offensive rebounds per game. For a team that got eaten alive on the boards last season, this seems like a dire need for the Cavs. Fourth, this guy is a shot-blocker and rim-protector. The Cavs need one badly because that’s not Varejao’s game, nor is it really JJ Hickson’s game. It’s certainly not Jamison’s game. I love the comments saying “then why didn’t we take Bismack Biyombo?????” How about because that guy is basically an unknown commodity and nobody knows if he’ll be able to do it in the NBA? And unlike Thompson, Biyombo doesn’t have a low-post game. Thompson has some good post moves, he just needs to add a jumper. Honestly… I was pretty shocked at all of the negativity about selecting Thompson. He was Hollinger’s 3rd highest rated prospect and Chad Ford’s 6th highest. Doesn’t seem like it should have caused as much uproar as it did.