Subscribe
Follow Us
With less than hours to go until the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Indiana Pacers during preseason play, head coach Kenny Atkinson changed Cleveland's lineup. The Cavs elected to rest Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Sam Merrill. Atkinson said he wanted to do this to get a better look at other players on Cleveland's roster. This included rookie swingman Jaylon Tyson, who ended up not disappointing in his first-ever NBA preseason start.
In 28 minutes of action, Tyson had 11 points on 5-7 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. It was a solid bounce-back performance for Tyson, who had eight points and seven rebounds in his NBA preseason debut. Every time the Cavs made a big play against the Pacers, it felt like Tyson was involved. After the game, Atkinson gave the Cleveland rookie his flowers for his performance.
“He's everywhere. Don't count him out,” said Atkinson. “He's a find-a-way guy. He's just going to find a way. You'll say, ‘Well, what's his specialty?' Sometimes, when you're a roleplayer, you've got to do one thing great. And he's a jack-of-all-trades. He can do so many things, and I love that he's not afraid. He will to try to throw the behind-the-head pass. He's got a little flair to him. He is an exciting, interesting player for us. He's going to put pressure on our rotation guys.”
Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson gets even more praise from his teammates
Atkinson added that Tyson could still spend time with the Cleveland Charge, the NBA G League affiliate of the Cavs. However, Atkinson also noted that Tyson will get a shot to earn minutes in Cleveland's rotation. That's a strong endorsement for a rookie trying to enter a rotation of established veterans looking to compete for a title. But for those veterans, it's hard not to notice how well Tyson has meshed with what Cleveland is building.
“He's everywhere,” said big man Jarrett Allen. “On the offensive end, he's making every single play. On the defensive end, he's stealing my rebounds. He's just everywhere on the court. But it's just great to see, right? It's great to see a rookie being active everywhere on the court and impacting the game like he does.”
Tyson could be a contender for the Cavs' rotation at some point this season. However, his biggest hurdles are his development and getting more experience, which will come with time. The way Tyson carries himself translates easily to the court. The more he stands out during Cleveland's preseason, the greater his chances are of making the rotation. It also helps that Tyson's all-around game, focusing on playing without the ball and crashing the glass, fits exactly what the Cavs need more this season.
“Jaylon Tyson has really impressed me,” Max Strus said during training camp. “You can tell he’s been taught how to play basketball the right way. So it’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.”
Tyson has said that he will do whatever it takes to win. He's shared that he is molding his game after Josh Hart and Caleb Martin, two highly impactful role players in the NBA. With Atkinson wanting to expand the Cavs’ rotation, Tyson might have the opportunity to contribute immediately. His versatile skill set on both ends of the floor has been what Cleveland has missed at the wing spot for the last few years. So if he continues this strong play, he'll fit perfectly into their system.
