Tristan Thompson will be the permanent starter at center for the rest of the season.

Coach Tyronn Lue said Monday that Thompson will be the permanent starter at center for the rest of the season, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Analysis:

While Lue didn't offer much of an explanation for the decision, it doesn't come as a huge surprise, especially considering how poorly Timofey Mozgov has played this season. Thompson has started periodically during the regular season, and he's a far more versatile defender than Mozgov, who's virtually unplayable against most of the small-ball lineups the Cavs will likely face in the playoffs. From a playing time standpoint, Thompson figures to see a mild boost, but he's already averaging close to 28 minutes per game, so it's unlikely to be drastic. That said, against certain teams/matchups, he could be asked to take on a much larger workload, as was the case last year when he averaged 26.8 minutes in the regular season compared to 36.4 in the postseason.