Cavaliers Coach Praises Front Office for Signing This Player

With all the injuries and games missed the Cleveland Cavaliers roster has dealt with so far, depth has been a key reason in simply keeping their season alive. 

Both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have missed time during the year with separate injuries, and one player continues to step up when Cleveland’s frontcourt has been out: Thomas Bryant.

Bryant picked the team up again when Allen left Tuesday’s win over the Detroit Pistons with a knee injury. The veteran center played just over eight minutes in the second half, recording a +/- of positive eight, which was the second-highest on the Cavaliers in the final 24 minutes.

Kenny Atkinson knows how important Thomas has been to the team this year, and not only complimented the player, but gave the organization a ton of credit for identifying TB and signing him in the offseason. 

“What a signing by our front office,” exclaimed Atkinson on Tuesday night. 

Signing Bryant was one of the last moves the Cavaliers made last offseason. On September 25, shortly before training camp opened up, Cleveland agreed to a one-year deal with the 28-year-old.

Since the Cavaliers came back from the All-Star Break, Thomas has appeared in six of the team’s eight games and is averaging 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds, while playing great defense and providing some much-needed toughness off Cleveland’s bench.

Atkinson also gave Bryant credit for stepping up when the team has been short-handed in the frontcourt, saying, “when Evan's been out, JA’s been out, he's played really, really well.”

Not only has Bryant slid nicely to help replicate some of the production Cleveland’s two big men have provided when they’ve been unavailable, but he also gives the Cavaliers a different look when he’s on the floor, and that’s a three-point threat. 

“Listen, he gives teams trouble 'cause he can stretch to the floor,” continued Cleveland’s head coach. “We got our rollers, we got JA, 
Evan is more of a roller than a popper, and he's one guy that pops, and now it just stretches the defense. We all know that that's hard, that's hard, really hard to defend.”

There’s still plenty of basketball to be played before the offseason rolls around, but the Cavaliers should try to bring Bryant back next season, considering how well he’s fit into their system. 

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