CLEVELAND: To instill a little confidence in his rookie, Byron Scott has devised a system with Tristan Thompson. Even though his free-throw percentage is hovering around 46 percent, Scott has broken up Thompson’s missed free throws into two categories: good misses and bad misses.
A good miss hits the back of the rim. A bad miss hits the front.
“If it’s short, it has no chance of going in,” Scott said. “I’ve always told him to just aim at the back of the rim.”
Thompson’s woeful free-throw percentage and overall offensive game need work, but it hasn’t kept Scott from playing him big minutes in fourth quarters recently. Thompson has played the entire fourth quarter in each of the last two games and three of the five since Anderson Varejao fractured his wrist.
Thompson’s free-throw woes make him a liability late in games, but Scott stuck with him during Sunday’s last-second win over the Kings. Scott conceded he thought about pulling Thompson with about three or four minutes to play, but the Kings didn’t show much interest in putting him on the line, so Scott stuck with him.
Thompson had a key tip-in off a Kyrie Irving miss in the final minute and played great defense on the following Kings’ possession, which included a pair of offensive rebounds and three missed shots for the Kings.
He finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double, but Scott still isn’t considering him inserting him into the starting lineup. He doesn’t think the rookie is ready for that type of role.
Scott also is still trying to squeeze more production out of Semih Erden, who was invisible Sunday.
The Cavs continue to work on all facets of Thompson’s offensive game. Scott said he likes Thompson best when he’s on the blocks, but he doesn’t want him trying to back down bigger defenders. At 6-foot-9 and 227 pounds, Thompson is giving up a fair amount of size on most nights – particularly when he’s forced to play center. That’s when Scott wants him using his quickness.
“Most of the guys in this league he’s trying to back down are bigger and stronger,” Scott said. “I like when he catches quick and goes quick. That’s where we’re trying to get him. It’s a work in progress. He’s a very good student. He listens and tries to apply what you give him. He’ll be fine.”
There will probably come a point – perhaps soon – when teams begin targeting Thompson late in close games. At that point, Scott will have to decide whether his rebounding and shot-blocking ability outweighs his liability as a free-throw shooter. Unless, of course, Thompson suddenly begins making 80 percent of his free throws.
“I just have to go up to the line and shoot the shot,” Thompson said. “There’s a 50 percent chance [it goes in]. If I hit the shots, their plan [of intentionally fouling him] fails.”
Scott believes all NBA players should be able to make at least 75 percent of their free throws. That leaves plenty of work ahead for Thompson.
The coaches have convinced Thompson to stop dribbling the ball at the line, since dribbling just leads to more thinking. Scott wants him to simply get the ball, set himself and shoot the foul shot.
Scott, who made 83 percent of his foul shots throughout his career, has seen improvement in Thompson. But until it translates into a higher percentage, he is sticking with the “good miss” theory.
“We try to tell him there are good misses, which I really don’t truly believe,” Scott said. “But for his sake, don’t you guys tell him I said that.”
Irving has Skills
Irving has been selected for the Skills Challenge as part of All-Star Saturday night.
He will compete against Washington’s John Wall, San Antonio’s Tony Parker, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, New Jersey’s Deron Williams and Golden State’s Stephen Curry in dribbling, passing and shooting challenges. Curry is the defending champion.
Irving is no stranger to skills competitions – he said he finished last in a field of “five or six” during one associated with the McDonald’s All-American game because he couldn’t make a jumper from the top of the key.
“There were some questions going in about my jump shot. I just couldn’t knock it down,” Irving said. “I think it was nerves. In the practice rounds, I was blowing everybody up. The lights went on and my shot was a little long.”
Irving said he was surprised he was the only rookie chosen and that Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio wasn’t included.
“It’s a great honor to be picked for my first year,” Irving said. “I’m excited to be part of Saturday night.”
Injury update
Daniel Gibson (ankle) and Anthony Parker (back) both participated in practice on Monday, but Scott wasn’t sure whether either would be available to play today against the Pistons.
Scott did say Gibson is a little closer to returning and there is at least a decent chance the Cavs will just hold Parker out until after the All-Star break.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com.
