Kings center/forward Tristan Thompson was never shy with his opinions on the state of the team while with the Cavaliers — and it appears he has brought that same bold leadership with him to Sacramento.
The Kings dropped to 6-9 following Wednesday’s loss to the Timberwolves, and Thompson spoke directly and honestly.
“This is the NBA. No one’s going to feel sorry for you,” Thompson told reporters, via RealGM. “C-Webb (Chris Webber) and (Mike) Bibby ain’t coming through that door. So you’ve go to keep pushing each and every day, keep getting better in practice, keep watching the film, learn from the mistakes.”
Thompson, 30, has seen sporadic minutes under coach Luke Walton, but as usual, has made the most of them. This is his first season in Sacramento, after being traded from the Celtics to Hawks to Kings in the offseason. So between the Celtics and Cavs, Thompson has seen it all, from lottery teams to a 2016 title.
“What guys gotta understand is that those little things over the course of 48 minutes, the my-bads after the my-bads after the my-bads, is what’s going to cost you a game in the fourth quarter,” he said of the Kings.
Still, he is keeping the faith and as honest as he can be, he is also enthusiastic and positive.
“I know each and every guy, their heart is in the right place and they want to win. Every guy in there wants to win,” Thompson said. “You see it in their eyes. I’ve been on teams — you see quitters, you see losers, straight out losers. But this team has guys that want to win.”
Thompson is averaging 4.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 10 appearances this season.
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