The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the most promising young rosters in the league, headlined by Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Yet, the Cavs bolstered their future even more during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Cleveland’s selection of former California Golden Bears forward Jaylon Tyson has fans even more excited for what will come.
Cleveland officially announced Tyson as their 20th overall pick on X Wednesday night, and fans were quick to react to the selection:
“He is the perfect fit for the team’s style and strategy,” one user commented.
“The best player in the class,” another claimed.
Despite the excitement for Tyson, some fans were skeptical of his fit with the Cavs.
“Bit of a head scratcher. I’ll reserve judgment till I see him play Summer League,” one user said.
One fan took more of the middle ground, claiming that while Tyson may have some deficiencies, he could be what new head coach Kenny Atkinson is looking for.
“I get that Jaylon Tyson is somewhat undersized. But if Kenny Atkinson really wants to run as much as we all think he does, then a guy like Tyson who can shoot, create, and score may be a perfect fit. Just need to wait and see,” the fan explained.
Why Jaylon Tyson is a sound 2024 NBA Draft pick for the Cavs
Jaylon Tyson is a 6’6″, 220-pound forward who started his college basketball career with the Texas Longhorns. He then transferred to Texas A&M before finding his home with the Cal Golden Bears, where he experienced a massive improvement. Tyson averaged 19.6 points 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals during his junior year. In addition, he shot 36 percent on three-pointers and 80 percent from the stripe.
Tyson’s all-around versatility caught the Cavs’ eye during the pre-draft process.
“He’s tough, he’s competitive,” Cavaliers General Manager Mike Gansey said. “He was one of the only guys that we had kind of in that 20-range that came in and worked out actually. So, he had workout for us, and he was everywhere – he could rebound, he could pass, shoot. He just fills so many gaps. He does a little bit of everything. He can play 1 through 3, he gets in passing lanes. He just kind of checks a lot of boxes.”
Tyson was one of Cal’s go-to scorers during the 2023-24 season. Gansey believes the incoming rookie will have to work on his off-the-ball play, but he should be able to catch on and thrive.
“I think the biggest adjustment for him will be playing without the ball, because obviously at Cal, he had the ball in his hands 95 percent of the time,” Gansey added. “He basically played point guard, whereas at Texas Tech played more off the ball. So, watching more of that film, we saw that he could shoot. I wouldn’t call him a great shooter, but he’s a good shooter. And I think he’s going to improve with that, playing off the ball.”
It will be interesting to see how Jaylen Tyson performs amid new beginnings with the Cavs.
