Myles Turner wouldn't have compared himself to Marcus Smart. So there's that.
Tristan Thompson got off on the right foot with his new fan base in the center's introductory press conference. The 29-year-old -- who was signed by the Celtics to a two-year deal after Danny Ainge chose not to trade for Turner -- offered the kind of self-evaluation that will immediately endear himself to Celtics followers.
"Physicality and toughness," Thompson said when asked to describe what he brings. "Smart is a bulldog and has done a great job from Day 1 of not backing down from anyone. I think he has done that awesome at the guard position. I think for me at the big position, playing against you guys ... You guys have seen me enough to see how I play. I'm going to play the exact same way I did in a Cleveland Cavalier jersey whether it was in the playoffs or in the regular season. I'm going to bring that same grittiness and toughness. You saw in the Miami series their bigs were playing at a high level and well. For me it's to come in and try and slow those guys down and make it tough for them. Like big Perk was saying, lay that wood."
The comparison is a smart one from Thompson's perspective considering the one part of Smart's game his naysayers have a problem with -- shot selection -- isn't really part of the big man's equation.
If Thompson can offer the grit and guile Smart brings, along with the kind of rebounding (8.7 rebounds per game) he has delivered throughout a nine-year career, he will fit in just fine.
The Celtics haven't had a player average more than 10 rebounds a game since Al Jefferson's 2006-07 season, an accomplishment Thompson managed the last two seasons.