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.<\/p>\n
It was important that they hit on this pick. And so far, it looks like they did.<\/p>\n
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Tyson is averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in his sophomore season. He\u2019s surprised everyone with how quickly he\u2019s made himself into a rotational player, and his fearlessness makes him the type of player who could thrive even on the biggest stages.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes those guys, the kind of \u2018no conscience\u2019 guys, they thrive in the playoffs,\u201d said Cavaliers\u2019 head coach Kenny Atkinson. \u201cI think he\u2019s that type of guy, he\u2019s not afraid, willing to take some risks, especially with a shot, and you need that in the playoffs because any sort of hesitancy or, \u2018oh man, what if I miss a shot?\u2019 He\u2019s got none of that, I haven\u2019t seen one bit of that since he\u2019s been here\u2026 those guys usually thrive in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyson\u2019s supreme confidence has already shown itself multiple times this season. Whether it\u2019s 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\u2019t afraid to be great.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIgnorance is bliss, in a good way,\u201d said Atkinson. \u201cHe just plays hard, he doesn\u2019t know if he\u2019s playing in a pick-up game at the park or playing an NBA game, he plays hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s one thing to be unafraid of the moment. It\u2019s another thing to actually meet it. All the confidence in the world wouldn\u2019t matter if Tyson didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat big of a jump, I didn\u2019t see that coming,\u201d Atkinson said of Tyson\u2019s three-point shooting. \u201cI saw the work, so maybe you could say \u2018well, you should believe in the work,\u2019 but it\u2019s a huge jump, he\u2019s getting it off quicker, rhtyhym\u2019s better, and he gets off contested ones. And again, a big thing is he\u2019s not afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n