Cleveland Cavaliers fans had been in need of something to cheer for in recent weeks. As this team continued to stack up losses and look like a shell of its 2024-25 self, something was desperately needed to change the energy. Now, as the Cavs have won seven of their last 11 games, the play of Nae'Qwan Tomlin has been a big positive.
Something this Cleveland team was in need of was a youthful spark. It's safe to say that Jaylon Tyson and Tomlin have been the two biggest contributors in that department. Both have brought the energy, and the decision from the Cavaliers' coaching staff to play him more minutes as of late has absolutely been vindicated.
The month of January has seen Tomlin play his highest minutes average of this season. Excluding the regular season finale last year, he didn't play over seven minutes in a single contest in 2024-25. Now, this January, Nae'Qwan has exceeded that mark in all nine of his games.
It's obvious that Tomlin's shooting from outside has a ways to go. But beyond that, there aren't a ton of clear weak points he's exhibiting right now. He's being asked to play hard and be a force on the glass, and those are areas he's excelling.
Nae'Qwan Tomlin has been impressing with increased opportunity
Tomlin has shown poise on the interior, finishing looks around the basket and looking composed when needing to make a quick pass or put the ball on the deck. His low turnover rate has been the cherry on top.
After playing most of his games in the G League last season, many considered Tomlin's biggest weakness to be on the defensive end. But he's held up surprisingly well on that side of things as of late. Nae'Qwan has the kind of youthful quick-twitch athleticism that allows him to move his feet well and defend multiple positions effectively.
Overall, the Cavaliers are just scratching the surface when it comes to what Tomlin can ultimately become as a player. Some will point to his age and doubt what his ceiling is, but we've already seen him make strides in the short amount of time he's been getting real reps in the Association.
Increasing his minutes since the turn of the new calendar year has been a rousing success. Cleveland clearly has something in Tomlin, and allowing him to continue developing on the fly was the right move for a Cavs team in flux.