Teammates praise Jaylon Tyson’s start to training camp

Tyson’s understanding of the game has stood out so far in camp.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson doesn’t lack confidence in himself. That confidence may not be misplaced as his teammates feel the same way.

“Jaylon Tyson has really impressed me,” Max Strus said. “You can tell he’s been taught how to play basketball the right way. So it’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.”

Evan Mobley was quick to point to Tyson as the player who’s impressed him most so far in camp.

“He’s been great,” Mobley said. “He’s an all-around player. When he gets in, he just goes out there, plays hard, and gets the job done.”

The skills are there with Tyson. We saw this at Cal and in his five games in Summer League. He’s already a good facilitator and rebounder which are things you can’t have enough of. But there are numerous examples of guys who look good in Vegas who can’t carry it over to the NBA.

Tyson’s most impressive Summer League moments came in games he played more on-ball. That won’t be his role with the Cavs in the short term. It’s also an area he seems to have progressed in since being able to spend more time with the team.

“He’s doing a lot of things without the ball in his hands,” Strus said. “A lot of guys that come from college don’t know how to do that. He’s able to space the floor, defend, cut when he’s supposed to cut. He knows basketball.”

Knowing who you are as a player is one of the most underrated skills in the league. It’s also one that is rare to find in rookies.

“Jaylon knows how to play the game,” Caris LeVert said. “He’s really smart. He knows where to be out on the floor. He knows how to kind of change roles with who he’s on the floor with. That’s a valuable asset to have, especially on this team where we have so many talented players. I think he just understands who he is as a player and that’s super underrated.”

There will be an adjustment period for Tyson. He won’t be the best version of himself in his rookie year. But if he’s going to crack the rotation he will need to continue to show that he’s a well-rounded player that firmly understands his game. Right now, it appears that he’s doing that.

“He seems like one of those players that is going to find a way,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He does a lot of things well. [He may not be] an elite NBA scorer right now, but he’s a good cutter, a good offensive rebounder, all those things role players do.”