The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the season with virtually the same core of players from last season.
Despite a new coaching regime, it seemed that any player on the bench would need to make significant improvements to earn playing time, particularly as a rookie.
Notably, that might be the case with Jaylon Tyson.
He hadn’t gotten a lot of playing time before being inserted into the starting lineup, but it’s evident that the coaching staff was paying close attention to his hard work.
In a recent appearance on the “Full Court Cleveland” podcast, Rafa Hernández-Brito pointed out that Tyson is the kind of player who makes the coaching staff take notice when he comes off the bench, even if he’s not on the floor for long.
Rafa LOVED what he saw from Jaylon Tyson against the Pelicans. #LetEmKnow
"You try to make the coaching staff pay attention."
– @ElAlcaldeRafa pic.twitter.com/HkvpDdoz2o
— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) November 24, 2024
The Cali product made the most of the expanded opportunity, nearly getting a triple-double in his first career start.
He kept pushing the ball up the court, finding the open man, establishing a position on both sides of the glass, and knocking down shots.
That’s remarkable for a player who had barely seen the floor, mostly playing in garbage time.
Kenny Atkinson admitted that his assistant coaches had to talk him into starting Tyson.
The decision paid off, and while the Cavs’ rotation seems to be all set when they’re at full strength, Tyson may have played himself into a bigger role.
NEXT: 2 Cavs Players Did Not Practice On Saturday
