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.