CLEVELAND (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Tristan Thompson is only 25 years of age but he already has a good understanding of what it takes to win games at the business end of the NBA season. He experienced this last season when the Cleveland Cavaliers made it to the Finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson is thinking about it right now, what the Cavs must do to go one step further and claim the title.

"We need to continue to get better defensively and stay together," he said to FIBA.com. "As we continue to get better defensively, you become a better and a more solid team in order to have a good run in the play-offs."

Thompson has been one of the most dependable of Cavs players over the years, showing up each and every day to go into battle. 

Thompson, unfortunately, was not able to lend his considerable presence on defense to Canada last summer when they played at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City and attempted to qualify for this summer's Rio Olympics. The 2.06m power forward/center had not yet put pen to paper on a new contract with the Cavs, something he eventually did in October.

Without him, Jay Triano's team played extremely well in Mexico. Yet they ended up falling by a single point (79-78) to Venezuela in the Semi-Finals and in so doing, missed out on clinching a birth to the Rio de Janeiro Games.

There were numerous reasons for frustration after that loss for Canada, including the fact that they had won their game against the Venezuelans eight days before in the Group Phase, prevailing 82-62.

"It was disappointing because they beat Venezuela a couple of days before the Semi-Finals and we lost against them one step away from the title game," Thompson said. "It was tough for the group, but we have the opportunity to have another chance to qualify for Rio 2016. We don't get the easy way, so we are going to fight to get our spot to Rio. Sometimes, you got to take the hard way to get to success."

The hard way that Thompson referred to is the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila, which runs from 5-10 July. Turkey and Senegal will be in Group A with the Canadians while France, New Zealand and the Philippines will be in Group B. Only the winner of the OQT will progress to the Olympics.

Thompson, everyone is hoping, will be with the team this time. But his presence would not make Canada a certainty to win the OQT.

The 2.06m big man and everyone knows nothing will come easy in the Philippines. Each of the other teams will be formidable opponents. Canada will be the only one of the six teams that did not play at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Every team that will go to Manila will have a chance to qualify. We are a young squad but we are really talented with plenty of NBA guys and the fellow Canadians who are doing great in European leagues. I am really excited by how things have been going for us and it’s great for our sport in Canada. - Thompson

There is, however, one certainty: every team will pull out all the stops to reach Rio. It's a dream for all of the players, including those on the Canadian roster, to make it to Brazil. Canada have not made it to a Summer Games since Steve Nash was the point guard in 2000.

Steve Nash (CAN) was an Olympian with Canada in 2000

It's definitely a goal of mine to represent my country on the Olympic stage. It means a lot to me. - Thompson

And if Canada were to make it to Brazil, they would not just be happy to take part. They would be ambitious.

"Being able to get a medal, to bring a medal back to Canada is what I want," Thompson said. "I want to bring a medal to Canadian basketball."

FIBA