Thomas Bryant: Reliable Third Big or Just a Stopgap Behind Allen and Mobley?

The Cleveland Cavaliers could have opted to look elsewhere as it relates to frontcourt depth.

Instead, they chose to bring back veteran Center Thomas Bryant on a 1-year deal, reaffirming their belief in Bryant as a reliable contributor out of the front court.

Yes, asset management and the salary restrictions likely played a real role in that decision but that doesn’t mean that Cleveland doesn’t value what he brings to the table.

But belief is only part of the equation. Can Thomas Bryant actually prove to be more than just a depth piece. In other words, can they truly rely on him to provide meaningful contributions to a Cavalier rotation and roster that is light on experience at that specific spot?

Spacing on a budget.

As mentioned before, Bryant was inked to a 1-year deal worth little over $3.5 million. That is among the cheapest contracts in the league among rotation caliber centers. Cleveland was operating without much breathing room at the time of this signing and didn’t have the means readily available to splurge on that position group.

They knew which areas needed to be prioritized and that meant taking a careful approach at backup big. That said, Bryant still provides a specific skillset that isn’t always easy to acquire at that price. Perimeter Spacing.

The Indiana product drilled the 10th most triples (44) off the bench, among reserve Centers last season. The bulk of his makes were from above the break where he shot 39/103 (37.9%). He converted on roughly 36.1% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities in the process. It was likely a contributing factor in him placing within the 82nd percentile in true shooting percentage at 62.7%.

This is where his bread is buttered and he knows it. He’s not exactly what I would consider a screen-and-roll big, but he is able of setting a solid screen here and there. He did place within the 85th percentile in Screen Assists per 75 possessions as well as the 98th in Roll man Possessions per 75.

And while he isn’t an elite rim-roller or a monster in transition, he is still dependable in these areas, scoring 1.15 Points Per Possession as a Pick-And-Roll Rollman as well as 1.45 Points Per Possession in transition, the latter of which was within the 96th percentile.

Bryant lacks positional versatility

One of the biggest things working against Bryant is the fact that he’s just not very positionally versatile. He’s a center through and through, which makes finding him more minutes than the 12.2 per game he saw last season a little difficult.

He can certainly be the first big off the bench when Allen leaves the floor, but Cleveland could be forced to configure their lineups in a certain fashion if they wish to carve out a larger share of minutes for him. The easiest way to do that might be to curtail Evan Mobley’s minutes at Center and hand them over to Bryant.

Mobley logged 2074 total minutes last season with roughly 65% of them coming at Center with Allen off the floor. If they can get that percentage down to around 55-60%, They’ll likely have more minutes to offer Bryant at the 5.

And in regard to the minutes Mobley is vacated at Center, Cleveland could opt to simply play him more often at the 4 considering their lack of reliable depth there, Mario Hezonja and Nae’Qwan Tomlin notwithstanding.

It's not really a question of reliability is it is current fit at the moment. At least in my humble opinion. That's not to say he is without flaws but he is capable enough to provide valuable minutes to a rotation. Cleveland knew that the second he was brought to town last offseason. The challenge is in finding him the minutes to prove his worth.

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