CLEVELAND, Ohio - It's next man up for the Cavaliers as they prepare to patch the void of missing Kevin Love.

His scoring touch around the basket and outside shooting can't be emulated. However, the Cavaliers have a player who can fill in admirably: Tristan Thompson.

Thompson doesn't possess Love's offensive repertoire, but he's just as vicious on the boards. Most teams aren't fortunate to have two starting-quality power forwards. Of the Big 3, Love's position is the only spot where the team can make due without completely falling apart.

But it won't be easy as Thompson cautions.

"I guess it's maybe a luxury, but just because you have a good player coming off the bench, it doesn't mean it's going to make the transition smooth," Thompson told Northeast Ohio Media Group.

"Everyone still has to do more and has to get adjusted to whether they're starting or coming off the bench. We got to be able to still do our roles. We got to be ready for whatever coach throws at you and you have to be productive."

Thompson said it's too early to know if he'll get the start on Monday against either the Chicago Bulls or the Milwaukee Bucks. If so, it would leave the bench relatively thin.

During Wednesday's practice coach David Blatt tinkered with different lineups and experimented with rotation patterns to garner a feel for what works.

With J.R. Smith suspended for the next two games, Blatt has decisions to make. Does he insert Iman Shumpert into the starting five or keep him as a reserve? Does he dust off Shawn Marion and Mike Miller and feed them to the wolves to open the contest or introduce them gradually?

Does he trust Kendrick Perkins to play extended minutes? These are all questions the coaching staff is pondering. That's what this week of preparation is about.

"We know what we have and we know we got a pretty good idea of how we have to play," Blatt said.

It's not an ideal situation to be trying out new methods of attack. The Cavaliers will be faced with learning on the fly while continuing to play at an elite level.

Whether he's starting or not, Thompson says he's ready for the challenge ahead and add that his teammates will be, as well.

They're not getting anybody's sympathy. This is still one of the most talented teams in the field and as long as LeBron James is well and playing, the Cavaliers will be a target.

And they get that.

"I wouldn't even feel sorry for us if I was going against us," Thompson said. "I know teams are licking their chops. The Bulls or Milwaukee, they're excited. Even though somebody is hurt they're still excited because they feel like we're a man down and we might not be as strong, but we're confident here. We got the players to still make something special happen. Guys just have to step up as a unit."