Getty Former Boston Celtics big man Tristan Thompson
The Boston Celtics frontcourt rotation has been a topic of conversation since Mike Muscala was acquired at the February 9 trade deadline, as Joe Mazzulla continues to toy with his rotations.
Yet, while the Celtics are struggling to figure out their best lineups, the Los Angeles Lakers are just trying to put enough size on the court to remain competitive as they continue to battle injury issues, including the recent injury of recently acquired big man Mo Bamba.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers are now taking a look at former Celtics big man Tristian Thompson, who is currently a free agent and has experience in challenging for a championship alongside LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers are working out free agent centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley this week, sources tell me and @jovanbuha. Thompson, an 11-year NBA veteran, was a key member of the 2016 championship Cavaliers team alongside LeBron James.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are working out free agent centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley this week, sources tell me and @jovanbuha. Thompson, an 11-year NBA veteran, was a key member of the 2016 championship Cavaliers team alongside LeBron James,” Charania tweeted.
Thompson played 54 regular-season games for the Celtics during his tenure with the team, averaging 7.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 51.8% from the field.
Celtics Analyst Sounds Off on Tristian Thomspon
During a recent episode of The Locked’ On Celtics Podcast, Celtics analyst John Karalis discussed how the mindset of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson could have affected how Jayson Tatum approaches the regular season.
“I keep going back to Kyrie (Irving) and Tristan Thompson,” Karalis said, “And I swear I feel like they poisoned Tatum’s brain. I feel like those guys, at the beginning, Tatum learned from Kyrie that the regular season doesn’t matter. You’ve learned from Tristan Thompson that the regular season doesn’t matter. And I just don’t think he puts the same value (on the regular season). I really, I honestly believe that.”
Celtics Get Updated Robert Williams Timeline
It’s true, the Celtics do have a deep frontcourt rotation, yet Robert Williams remains the x-factor for Boston’s defense, as his presence alters how easily teams can look to pressure the rim on a possession-by-possession basis.
Fortunately for Celtics fans, it would appear that Williams is scheduled to make his return to the rotation in the near future. When speaking to the media on March 15, Mazzulla shared an update on Williams’ recovery, providing a timeline for his return.
Joe Mazzulla says Rob Williams could make his return “within the next week or so”
Who else is excited to see the Timelord back on the court?
“He went through it pretty good,” Mazzulla said, “Still on the timeline. Hopefully, within the next week or so…He responded well to the workout yesterday. Today was a lighter day for him.”