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Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson is expected to miss ‘multiple games’ after suffering an ankle sprain during the team’s 127-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Thompson suffered the injury in the first half of the defeat, but ended up playing 28 minutes in the contest and was still able to put together a respectable 12 points and seven rebounds. According to the team, however, the ankle swelled a considerable amount overnight, according to
Thompson will now miss Cleveland’s next couple contests – at the least – starting with Monday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, a team featuring All-Star center Andre Drummond and five-time All-Star Blake Griffin – not the easiest matchup for a team already scarce in bigs down its starting frontcourt. Thompson will also most definitely miss the team’s game with the Denver Nuggets, another team that boasts a formidable frontcourt with Paul Millsap and rising star Nikola Jokic. Larry Nance will be the likely replacement at center for the time being.
Thompson has been the definition of reliable over the majority of his professional career, playing in 78 or more games in every season since 2012-’13, and playing in every single contest for the Cavaliers from 2012-’13 to 2015-’16. However, along with his most recent injury, Thompson suffered a calf injury in November that sidelined him for a significant amount of time in the early portion of the season.
Along with being incredibly durable prior to this season, Thompson was also very consistent with his production on the court, averaging over nine points and eight rebounds over the first six seasons of his career. This season, however, Thompson has fallen off considerable just over six points and rebounds apiece but showed enough that the Cavaliers decided not to ship him out during their trade deadline makeover.
