If anyone reading this knows of my recent writings to start the season, I was not the biggest Jaylon Tyson supporter. Phrases like “I’m out” and “I don’t see it” may have been uttered, but hey, nothing
lasts forever on the internet, right?
Anyhow, safe to say confidence in my ability to gauge the capabilities of NBA talent has taken a massive hit. I am not afraid to admit I was dead wrong about what Tyson was capable of. Tyson has proven himself to be the Cleveland Cavaliers’ most impactful and consistent player on the floor not named Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley.
Jaylon Tyson is following the Ty Jerome school of eating up any minutes available by constantly exceeding expectations. Tyson may have begun this season in the Cavaliers’ starting lineup, however, this was more due to circumstance than level of play. Nevertheless, while Tyson didn’t come out the gates as the player we are seeing today, he, akin to Jerome last season, has clearly climbed the rankings of someone that the team views as a high-level impact player.
The appeal is obvious, the guy has an endless motor, and is a human torch from the three-point line (currently shooting 46.7%). While the latter is not sustainable, the former is something that the Cavaliers seem like they can rely on. They’ve struggled with energy this season, so Tyson’s relentless energy is palpable.
Part of my Tyson skepticism came from the Cavs looking to utilize him much differently compared to the roles he held in college. While Tyson never had identical roles in college year to year, a lot of the minutes he logged were as the offensive engine.
With a Cavaliers team that (when healthy) would have Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Mobley mainly running the Cavaliers offense, it seemed highly unlikely these opportunities would be in Tyson’s future. However, Tyson has seamlessly adjusted to playing off-ball and has been able to flash the skills that made him successful in college as well.
There have been times recently where Tyson has been able to be that second initiator and flash the on-ball skills we saw on his college tape. Tyson being relegated to a catch and shoot option from three would have been a roll of the dice. Even with the clip he is shooting at, not bringing anything else to the table would clearly have been a disservice to Tyson’s skillset.
Now, I am not saying that Tyson is who the Cavaliers need to build around. I do, however, believe that there are some discussions to be had regarding Tyson becoming the full-time starting small forward. I am aware that the Cavaliers have multiple options like De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus, and Dean Wade. However, I think having Tyson to start games would be in everyone’s best interest.
The Cavaliers haven’t exactly come out the gates guns blazing. Tyson’s energy is something that would keep the Cavaliers’ core four in check. Having Hunter out there essentially has all the elite scorers on the Cavaliers out on the floor at the same time. Relegating Tyson to being the break glass in case of emergency would be a waste of the player he has been this season. The accountability Tyson has shown on and off the floor shows the respect that the top players and coaching staff have in him.
I think the move would amplify the Cavaliers’ bench rotations as well. The substitution patterns would benefit from having names like Strus, Sam Merrill, and Hunter coming off the bench to leave reliable offense on the floor at all times. The Cavaliers have one of the more talented rosters in the league, and you don’t want the feeling of a top-heavy minutes distribution.
It has been far from an ideal start to the season for the Cavaliers, the development and emergence of Tyson has clearly been the brightest spot in a murky season. If his level of play levels off at some point, he has still exceeded any level of assumptions/expectations any critics (like this dumb-dumb) had entering the season.
