The Cleveland Cavaliers knew that Jaylon Tyson would be important to their future. They selected him 20th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, knowing that they would only have so many chances to improve this roster on the margins as their financial situation would only grow tighter moving forward.
It was important that they hit on this pick. And so far, it looks like they did.
Tyson is averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in his sophomore season. He’s surprised everyone with how quickly he’s made himself
into a rotational player, and his fearlessness makes him the type of player who could thrive even on the biggest stages.
“Sometimes those guys, the kind of ‘no conscience’ guys, they thrive in the playoffs,” said Cavaliers’ head coach Kenny Atkinson. “I think he’s that type of guy, he’s not afraid, willing to take some risks, especially with a shot, and you need that in the playoffs because any sort of hesitancy or, ‘oh man, what if I miss a shot?’ He’s got none of that, I haven’t seen one bit of that since he’s been here… those guys usually thrive in the playoffs.”
Tyson’s supreme confidence has already shown itself multiple times this season. Whether it’s his big fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week, or when he called out his veterans and then scored a career-high 27 points versus Indiana the game after. This is a player who isn’t afraid to be great.
“Ignorance is bliss, in a good way,” said Atkinson. “He just plays hard, he doesn’t know if he’s playing in a pick-up game at the park or playing an NBA game, he plays hard.”
It’s one thing to be unafraid of the moment. It’s another thing to actually meet it. All the confidence in the world wouldn’t matter if Tyson didn’t have the game to back it up. His growth as a defender, creator and specifically as a three-point shooter, has opened the door for him to be an impactful NBA player.
“That big of a jump, I didn’t see that coming,” Atkinson said of Tyson’s three-point shooting. “I saw the work, so maybe you could say ‘well, you should believe in the work,’ but it’s a huge jump, he’s getting it off quicker, rhtyhym’s better, and he gets off contested ones. And again, a big thing is he’s not afraid.”
Tyson is shooting 45% from downtown this season. That’s sixth in the NBA among players who are averaging at least 4 attempts per game. It’s hard not to believe in a player who shoots that efficiently while being one of the toughest and most physical dudes on the court.
It’s important to have patience with younger prospects. Even when they are exceeding all expectations. The Cavs believe they have a hidden gem in Tyson, but they don’t want to get ahead of themselves. Slow and steady is still the approach Atkinson is taking with his sophomore standout.
“Let’s just keep it simple, that’s the message, because that’s what’s going to help the team right now,” said Atkinson. “I think we’ll eventually get there. He proved it in college; he can be a creator and a playmaker, but you know, a second-year player still going through it, he’s gonna play hard, and you know he’s gonna rebound, so I’m really pleased with his progress so far.”
