Lakers News: LA Big Man's 2023 Playoff Defense May Have Extended His Career
When Tristan Thompson signed on for your Los Angeles Lakers' 2023 playoff run at the end of the regular season, it wasn't seen as much of anything. During the postseason, Thompson didn't play much except during garbage time but he stayed professional throughout. However, in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, he was given more of a run and actually looked decent.
Thompson brought some energy off the bench and provided a mini spark in the ten minutes that he was in the game. He held his own defensively and now could be a candidate to make a return to the NBA next season. NBA insider John Hollinger of The Athletic explains more:
"Yanked off his Barcalounger after playing zero regular-season minutes, Thompson saw action in six playoff games and showed enough defensive mobility to revive his career. Of particular note was a nine-minute run in Game 4 against the Nuggets, a nip-and-tuck affair where the Lakers lost no ground with Thompson on the court and he didn’t seem like a mismatch on defense. Thompson’s limited offense caps what role he can play or what a team might offer, but nobody will be shocked if he’s back in the league next year."
Thompson showed some athleticism that many wondered if he still had left. While he won't likely get anything more than a veteran minimum contract, the Lakers may be well off to bring him back as an end of the bench player at some point this season. He has familiarity with the team now after the playoff run and was always one of LeBron James favorite teammates during their Cleveland days together.
Thompson could provide a nice extra veteran presence to the locker room and be a fill in guy if someone gets hurt. Or if he can maintain his production, maybe a 10 min a game type of player off the bench. Los Angeles can do a lot worse than Thompson in my opinion if injuries start to hit the squad later this season.
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