Tristan Thompson Back to Bench, Timofey Mozgov Will Start at Center

The Cavaliers made a change in the starting lineup coming into Friday night’s matchup with the Houston Rockets. Tristan Thompson will go back to coming off the bench after starting the last nine games. The Cavs went 8-1 in that stretch and Thompson continued to average more than ten rebounds per game.

Timofey Mozgov, who had struggled for much of the season, played well in the nine games coming off the bench, and the move by Head Coach David Blatt could be a reflection of Mozgov’s improved play, as well as an attempt to provide more of a spark on the Cavs’ second unit.

We’ll see if the move is more specifically related to the Cavs matchup with the Rockets, or if Mozgov will still be starting against Golden State on Monday, a team who he struggled mightily against on Christmas Day.