Although there wasn't much to like about the Cleveland Cavaliers' latest 125-105 loss to the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden, Jaylon Tyson proved to be a bright spot.
The Cavs' second-year swingman drew his third start of the campaign and delivered with Sam Merrill out of action with a right hip contusion, scoring a season-high 19 points on 8 of 11 from the field. He moved without the ball, made himself available, and had as good a performance finishing around the rim as he's had since being drafted to Cleveland last year.
Tyson was all over the place on a night when the Cavs couldn't sniff the ball. He was playing aggressively on both ends, diving to the floor to secure extra possessions and giving his all to keep Cleveland in a game it shouldn't have been in.
However, offense isn't Tyson's primary focus for this wine-and-gold squad. With a ton of talent on the roster, he and Craig Porter Jr. have drawn the role-player cards. They're there to defend hard, make the opponents work for their buckets, and grab rebounds.
In a way, his postgame interview after Monday's blowout win in Detroit foreshadowed his next performance.
“My whole career, I've always just been score, score, score. Offense, offense, offense,” Tyson told ClutchPoints and two other reporters after the victory. “I've never been known as a defender, so to be able to shift that… that's why I say I'm not worried about the offensive stuff. The offensive stuff is gonna come within the flow, and whenever I get more reps with them.
“I'm not used to playing defense at this high of a level, but I mean, that's the role I have and that's the role I've got to take on for this team. They instill confidence in us to do it, and I trust my teammates. They have my back. So that's all I can do.”
Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has spoken about his respect for Tyson since the beginning of training camp.
“Man, that kid, he's hungry,” Mitchell stated. “I said this last year, I've never seen a kid come out and lead his team in scoring in college, shoot every shot, every single shot, and then come in here and say, ‘Hey, I want to play in the half roll, I want to screen and get you guys open. I want to defend.' Like, that mentality is the sense of maturity that you want to have out of a young guy.”
On Wednesday, according to NBA Stats, Tyson guarded Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jaylen Brown each for over two minutes of matchup time. Among those assignments, he only allowed one White three-point make. Pritchard missed all four of his attempts, while Brown didn't get a shot off against him.
Defensive tracking data can be tricky, but Tyson has been as aggressive as anybody on the ball defensively through five games. Take 21 total fouls as evidence of that. However, it also makes sense glancing at the list of his guard assignments: Cam Thomas, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Brown, and White.
“A little handsy,” Tyson said. “I like to play physical. Just those little plays, those little tick-tack fouls I'm doing, I need to take that away. But I feel like I'm competing at a high level, and that's all I can ask for myself as I long as I play hard, and I live with the results.
“It just comes with playing the game and understanding the game, understanding player tendencies. I feel like personnel is a big thing for me that I need to learn. Obviously when I was in college, we didn't do as much as that. So understanding player personnel like Jalen Brunson, like Cam Thomas, they like to do foul baiting, so knowing when to show your hands. But like I said, it's going to come with time.”
On the other hand, Tyson's ball pressure is a key reason why Cleveland ranks fourth in the NBA with 9.8 steals per game.
Being among the league leaders in fouls can be perceived as a negative, but Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson is “fine with it.”
“Just not the opening night, fouling four three-point shooters. Those we're not fine with,” Atkinson said. “But there's a trade-off, right, when you're picking up higher and you're more physical, it's a trade-off. We're going to have some games where we give up a decent amount of free throws, but we're willing to live with it.”
Cavs swingman Jaylon Tyson expects more of himself
Tyson is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and will always be his first critic.
“It's so hard,” Tyson said of getting acclimated to his role. “Obviously, this is my second year. Like, you want everything now, everything now. You want to be this. You want to be that. But understand that it's gonna be a process, right? You're gonna have to take baby steps, baby steps. That's how this league is.
“I feel like that's the process for me. Just understanding, ‘Okay, this year: hit open shots, play defense, bring energy.' Simple as that, right? Everything else will just fall in line as I get comfortable with these players.”
Offensively, Tyson knows he has a lot to work on. Whether it's timing up his cuts correctly, staying spaced at the right moments, or making the right “yellow” reads, it will all come with experience.
Before this season, he told the Cavs he would do whatever it takes to get on the court, and so far, despite the bumps along the way, the returns have been promising.
“He's going to take a big step for us, and a lot of people are going to start to realize who Jaylon Tyson is after this season,” Mitchell said in early October.
“I haven't played my best basketball,” Tyson added. “A lot of indecisiveness, a lot of undisciplined plays. It's been solid, I would say, but I know what type of player I am and I know what I can be, and I don't think I've hit that standard yet. But obviously it's a long season, so I've got plenty of time.”
