CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Andre Drummond and Triston Thompson practiced Friday as the duo take steps towards returning to the floor.
Drummond has been sidelined with a left calf strain and Thompson a left knee contusion.
“They’re close,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Friday morning after practice. “They went through everything today, then we just have to see what the response is like tomorrow and we’ll decide whether or not they’re going to be able to go.”
Thompson, who is averaging 12.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in 50 games this season, was non-committal about his availability Saturday night against Denver.
“I feel good,” Thompson said. “[I’ll] See how I feel when I wake up in the morning and go from there.
“As of right now I got through practice, going to do my treatment and see how it feels in the morning.”
Drummond has missed four of the last five games while Thompson has missed the last two games.
Patience is a virtue – At 17-45 the Cavs remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and the second-worst record in the league behind 14-49 Golden State testing the patience of the rebuilding process.
“Everyone’s impatient, that’s just how the world is now,” Thompson said. “Look at Postmates and Uber Eats. Nobody wants to go wait in line for their food, right? So, the world is not patient. You guys aren’t patient. Team loses 10 games in a row you think the season’s ending, right? Everyone’s like that.
“Everyone wants instant results but life’s not like that, especially in a team sport. Maybe tennis and golf, it’s quicker results because it’s on yourself to do better. In a team sport, it takes time. It’s a learning curve for everyone and as long as you handle your job and do what you gotta do every day, the rest will follow.”
Patience is something Thompson has tried to impress upon some of the younger players this season.
“It’s a process. I’ve been here nine years,” Thompson said. “I’ve been here when we won 20 games and I’ve been here when we won 55 games. You just gotta enjoy the moment. All you can control is what you can control which is working on your game, being in the weight room, watching film, working on your game on the court [and] staying healthy.
“You do what you need to do to become the best player that you can be, everyone will see that, and the sheep will follow.”
When did Thompson, selected fourth overall by the Cavs in 2011, learn patience?
“Knowing that LeBron was going to be a free agent in 2014,” Thompson said. “Chris Grant did a great job making sure the cap was clear. I’m being serious. That isn’t a joke. I’m serious.”
Unfortunately, LeBron isn’t walking through that door again this summer.
Figuring it out – Collin Sexton has been on a tear of late, including scoring career-highs in back to back games this week.
“The opportunity is there” Thompson said. “Without DG, myself, Andre not playing the opportunity is there. I think he’s taken full advantage of that and that’s what you want.”
Sexton dropped 32 points Monday night on the Jazz then torched the Celtics for 41 more Wednesday night, both losses.
“He’s got almost a single-minded approach to being great,” Bickerstaff said. “And that’s why whatever you put in front of him, or above him like Kevin said, he’s going to knock through it. That’s the only thing that matters to him, right? But what’s important and what he recognizes is being great as an individual is how much you impact your team. It’s not just about how many points can you get, what numbers do you get, it’s about how do we do that so the team can become great. And that’s when you are truly respected and appreciated is when, and you guys obviously have seen it, when you’re a guy who carries the team and on any given night it can be in a different way – one night you have to go out and stop somebody, one night you have go to out and they’re trapping you and you got to get 15 assists, the next night they’re going under and you got to make five 3s - so that’s when you are truly impacting the game, and truly chasing greatness.”
Step back – Thompson has embraced his new role coming off the bench since the acquisition of Drummond.
With the team in a rebuild, some veterans would pout at such a move, but not Thompson.
“It’s not hard at all,” Thompson said. “One thing about me is whatever role – whether it’s a starter or coming off the bench – I’m still going to go out there and do my thing when my number is called. I’m still going to play my game.
“It’s just going to be a problem for those guys that have to go against me in the second unit. I feel bad for them.”
Bickerstaff appreciates Thompson’s approach to his new role.
“Sacrifice is easy until it happens to you,” Bickerstaff said. “When you’re used to playing 30 minutes, it’s easy to tell your teammate, ‘Sacrifice for the team.’ But then when it happens to you, how do you respond? I think he’s responded in a great way.
“Through this process when you’re talking about the type of team and the type of people that you want around, that speaks volumes to the guys. Leadership can do that. A guy who’s won a championship can do that, what’s best for the team. And that’s what we’re trying to develop here.”
Weekend off – Darius Garland, who has been out the last two games with a left groin strain, won’t play this weekend according to Bickerstaff.
Bigger sticks – Thompson’s golf game is a work in progress, and he needs an upgrade in gear too.
“I’m still trying to figure that s*** out, to be honest,” Thompson said. “I need to get longer sticks, so I gotta figure it out.”
