Jaylon Tyson feels he’s one of the best in his class

Tyson was full of confidence during Media Day.

If Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson is lacking anything, it’s not confidence. He was boisterous and full of energy on his first NBA Media Day — joking with reporters and making the type of bold claims you’d expect from a wide-eyed prospect.

“One thing I took away from Summer League is I knew that I’m one of the best rookies in this class,” Tyson said. “I just wanted to show why they picked me at 20 and why I deserve to be here.”

It’s not uncommon for a rookie to be braggadocious with the media. They just achieved their life’s dream and have a whole career to look forward to. They haven’t experienced any growing pains or hit any developmental walls just yet. But Tyson not only showed the individual confidence you’d expect from a rookie who's high in the clouds — but he also displayed self-awareness and spoke about his willingness to do whatever the team needed from him.

“I just feel like I’m a winner,” Tyson said. “If you’re a winner, you can plug in anywhere, you know? I’m willing to adjust.”

Tyson understands that the role he played in college will not be the same as the one he’s asked to fill as a rookie. He’ll be asked to play more without the ball and tackle the little things. Joining a title contender as a non-lottery prospect means he’ll have to fight for everything. The team isn’t building around him — he’s building himself around the team.

“Being able to space the floor, that’s the biggest thing I’ve been working on,” said Tyson. “[Coach told me] if you make these corner [threes], you’re gonna get paid a lot of money — I’m like, alright let’s do it!”

The Cavaliers have built a core four that is missing the type of gritty, multifaceted role player that Tyson can become. His offensive skillset combined with his size and athleticism gives Tyson the same build that made Caleb Martin and Josh Hart successful — two players Tyson says he is modeling his game after. He says defense and complementing his star teammates will be the key to earning minutes as a rookie.

“I was like, alright how y’all doing? I’m in here now, so let’s do it,” Tyson said about his arrival. “I’m glad that this is a team that’s been together and I just jumped straight into it.”