Nae’Qwan Tomlin wasn’t in the Cleveland Charge’s rotation at the start of last season, but ended it on a two-way deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s difficult to imagine a year going any better for someone in his position.
Tomlin’s size and scoring profile make him an intriguing gamble for the Cavs. The 6’10” forward averaged 17.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on .537/.330/.663 shooting splits for a Charge team that struggled to find consistent point guard play. Much of Tomlin’s offense came from facing up on the perimeter and creating for his own off the dribble.
There simply aren’t many guys of his size who are consistently doing that, even at a G League level.
Tomlin’s weird combination of skills is partially due to his unorthodox path to the NBA. He didn’t play organized basketball until enrolling at Monroe Community College. He then attended three other schools throughout his collegiate career before ending up with the Charge last season.
This weird road stands out in a league where many players receive specialized training before they reach even middle school.
This ultimately led to Tomlin developing a well-rounded skillset based on his strengths. He was never pigeonholed into stereotypical roles for forwards of his size. Instead, he just developed standard basketball skills from simply playing the game. That path has allowed him to be the scorer he is today.
At the same time, Tomlin hasn’t been put in many positions where he had to develop an off-ball game like he will need to if he’s going to be an NBA rotation player. The Charge needed anyone who could create for themselves off the dribble, given their inconsistent guard play. This allowed Tomlin to thrive and be comfortable in his game. He simply won’t be able to play that way at the next level.
It’s difficult for anyone to make the jump from the G League to the NBA. It’s especially difficult if you have to drastically change how you play to do so.
For example, Sam Merrill’s role between the Cavs and Charge didn’t change that much since being an off-ball, movement shooter translates well to the next level. He had to learn how to pick his spots and play with his new teammates, but what he did best was a seamless fit. Merrill’s primary role didn’t change. Just his usage and playing time varied.
Conversely, what Tomlin does best won’t be as seamless a fit. He won’t be asked to create for himself if he’s on the floor with guys like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, or Evan Mobley. In those contexts, he’ll likely be used as a second-side scorer who quickly attacks a shifting defense or spaces the floor. Additionally, generating your own looks in the NBA is considerably more difficult than doing so in the G League. It’s why good isolation G League scorers typically don’t become rotation NBA players.
Tomlin can, however, break that stereotype. He theoretically has the tools to be a good off-ball player. We just don’t know if he can adjust and best utilize them in that context yet.
On top of that, there are concerns about whether his rebounding and defense can hold up in the NBA. Is he strong enough to get contested rebounds against similarly sized players? Is he quick enough to stay on the perimeter with some of the more dynamic fours? Can he defend the post if he’s switched onto a bruising center?
These are all questions that Tomlin will need to answer this upcoming season if he’s going to make the jump into being an NBA player on a standard deal.
Tomlin showed last year that he has the skills and work ethic to make the leap from being a fringe G-League player to having his own NBA locker. The leap he needs to make this season will be just as difficult. Most players on two-way contracts never end up being viable rotation players. At the same time, most don’t have the size and skillset Tomlin does, either. We’ll see if he can make the most of that this season.