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Boston Celtics: 4 reasons to be thankful for the Tristan Thompson signing

By Ian Riaf

CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 09: Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to the LA Clippers bench during the first half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 09, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 09: Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to the LA Clippers bench during the first half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 09, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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In today’s Thanksgiving special, we explain why the Boston Celtics should be thankful for the addition of Tristan Thompson.

Though today may be Thanksgiving, a day devoted to family and togetherness, I can’t help but feel thankful for the Boston Celtics and their signing of veteran big man Tristan Thompson this offseason.

I am almost 23 years old, so I never lived through the Bad Boys Pistons Era of the 1980s, but I’ve been told tales and seen footage of their ruthless hard-nosed style of basketball.

Dirty at times, these Piston teams embodied toughness, and when I say embodied, I mean they put the “bodied” in embodied. If I were constructing a team of current NBA players to emulate this bruising style of basketball, Tristan Thompson would for sure be a highly-coveted talent.

He is one of the few old-school smash-mouth centers still left in this hyper-revved world of stretch-fives, and he is now a member of the Boston Celtics.

The Cs are siding with toughness by signing the 29-year old Canadian-born big to a two-year, $19 million deal at the full mid-level exception. He gives Boston an added dose of hustle, something most modern-day bigs fail to provide.

The shamrocks most likely noticed the havoc caused by Bam Adebayo during Game 6 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals and put this as a top offseason priority. It was Adebayo, not Jimmy Butler, who led the Heat in free throw attempts during that series.

Let’s remember this little fact as we proceed forward in detailing how Tristan Thompson fits with the Boston Celtics, and why we all should be thankful for his arrival.

Without further adieu, let’s get into the weeds on what makes the signing of T.T. so special:

Reason to be thankful for Tristan Thompson No. 1) Defensive prowess

Let’s start on defense, and let’s bring back that fouling/ opposition’s free-throw shooting stat mentioned earlier.

Some players are quickly labeled foul magnets.

Others are not.

Kelly Olynyk is a former Boston Celtics player who carried around this badge, and Daniel Theis, unfortunately, still holds it.

At a glance, one could look at Thompson and Theis as similar in their physical nature and defensive profile. However, the main difference between the two rests within the foul department.

An underrated aspect of Thompson’s defensive acumen is his ability to stay on the floor — by staying on the floor, I mean not fouling. Thompson absorbs contact with his chest, has patience on most of his shot contests, and rarely gets called for ticky-tack shooting fouls.

His patience and willingness to play with his chest helped him post a 2.5 percent foul percentage (93rd percentile), whereas Theis ranked in the 14th percentile.