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| Photograph by: Mike Stobe, Getty Images |
TORONTO — Ro Russell remembers the moment the focus and the determination that propelled Tristan Thompson to the NBA first shined through.
It flourished under frustrating circumstances.
Russell’s development basketball team from Toronto, Grassroots Canada Elite, needed to get to Rancho High School by 1 p.m., for the semifinals of the 2008 Adidas Super 64 tournament. Problem was construction on Interstate 15 near Las Vegas was slowing everything down.
The team made it to the venue in time for the game, but had no time to change in the dressing room or warm up. So Russell and his coaches told the players to change in the van.
The moment the van stopped, Thompson jumped out and ran to the gymnasium for the tip-off. The Brampton, Ont., native led his teammates that afternoon to a dominating 79-55 over Pump N Run Elite en route to another impressive win in the final that evening. Thompson was named tournament MVP.
“This kid is not human,” Russell said. “You’ve got to warm up. You’ve got to run up and down. You’ve got to stretch, you have to get some shots up, and he didn’t need that. He was ready.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers also think Thompson is ready for the biggest stage, selecting the 20-year-old fourth overall in Thursday night’s NBA draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was Cleveland’s second pick after taking Duke point guard Kyrie Irving first overall.
“I felt it was best for me and my family (to enter the draft),” Thompson said during draft media day this week, “and looking at the pros and cons and where I stand, it was the best decision.”
The six-foot-eight power forward spent last season at the University of Texas and averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game. Thompson was named Big 12 freshman of the year and helped the Longhorns to the Big 12 championship game and the third round of this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Thompson is the highest Canadian draft pick since forward Bob Houbregs of Vancouver was selected second overall back in 1953 by the Milwaukee Hawks. Thompson is the highest Canadian draft pick of the last 50 years, supplanting Steve Nash of Victoria, who was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1996.
The last Canadian selected in the first round was centre Jamaal Magloire of Toronto, who was chosen 19th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2000.
Thompson’s Texas teammate, guard Cory Joseph of Toronto, was a surprise selection in the first round, taken 29th by San Antonio. Joseph had been rated as a second-rounder by most observers.
Mock drafts leading up to this year’s event had Thompson going fourth to the Cavaliers and as low as 15th to the Indiana Pacers.
He was the second player the Cavaliers selected after they used the first overall pick on guard Kyrie Irving. Thompson already has a connection with the Cavaliers having played at a New Jersey high school with current Cleveland forward Samardo Samuels.
“He’s like an older brother to me, a mentor, especially during this process,” Thompson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We kept in real close contact. He went through these workouts a year ago. He was telling me, ‘Do what you do well and everything will fall into place.’ ”
Those who endorse Thompson fawn over his seven-foot-one wingspan and his presence under the basket. His detractors say he has potential, but needs work on his ball-handling and his shooting, particularly his attempts from the free throw line. He hit on just 48 per cent of his attempts last season.
Thompson’s stock rose, and earlier this week rumours started that the Cavaliers were interested.
Russell said Thompson worked harder in those showcases than players rated higher than him, such as Bismack Biyombo, Markieff Morris and Enes Kanter.
The Utah Jazz took Kanter with the third pick, Sacramento took Biyombo at seven and the Suns took Morris at 13.
With the fifth pick in the draft, the Toronto Raptors selected Jonas Valanciunas, 19, a six-foot-11 centre from Lithuania.
“(Thompson) has the mentality, he has the mindset, he has the athleticism, he has the charisma to be go into the NBA,” Russell said.
Russell, however, understands several scouts believe Thompson’s skills are raw, and he and his former player constantly talk about improvement. Russell was Thompson’s guest at the draft.
“We’re always talking about how you get your shots up, how you put form on your shot, how you get your elbow in and getting the rotation on your shot,” Russell said. “Were going over techniques and fundamentals.”
Nevertheless Russell insists Thompson has the same work ethic he did when he started Grassroots at age 14, travelling on the bus from Brampton to Toronto often to practice twice a day.
With a work stoppage on the NBA horizon, Thompson knows where he will be in the days after the draft.
“I’ll be in the gym working out and I’ll keep refining my game,” he said before being selected. “So when the time comes and we have a schedule, I’ll be in shape and I’ll be ready to play.”
National Post
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