Cavaliers secret weapon is becoming their version of noted "Cavs Killer"

In September at the Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day, first-round rookie Jaylon Tyson was asked about which players he models his game around.

Having sat across the table and asked players for such comparisons before, the answers usually fall into one of two categories. Some players are honest and list a "pure scorer" in the league; Carmelo Anthony used to be a popular comparison, and now names like Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander come up a lot. If you're a shooter, you list Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard.

Answers can also fall into the category of who players think they should name -- they don't want to be pegged as a shoot-first player, so they list a glue guy to sound like a team player. Andre Iguodala, for example, or Jrue Holiday. They are usually lying when they do so, though, as players almost always want to reach for the highest-profile role they can get to.

That's why when Jaylon Tyson gave his answer, it sounded like something he thought everyone would want to hear: "Josh Hart." A small-usage connective piece whose career scoring average is 10.1 points per game. That's the kind of player Tyson's coaches would like him to watch, sure, but wouldn't Tyson really want to be the next Jayson Tatum or Jimmy Butler?

What is remarkable, however, is that when called upon, a rookie wing who took 15.4 shots per game last year in college, averaging 19.6 points per context, is actually playing like Josh Hart and it's exactly what the Cavaliers needed.

Jaylon Tyson is thriving as a Josh Hart clone

Tyson has not had a full spot in the rotation this year, which is understandable. He is a rookie playing on the best team in the Eastern Conference, a contender with plenty of depth and with their eyes focused primarily on winning now rather than arbitrarily carving out playing time for player development.

Yet when Tyson has been called upon, he has stepped up in a major way -- not by dominating the ball, but by doing every little thing needed on the basketball court. He has rebounded with ferocity, played active and effective defense, and displayed already-developed playmaking chops. Twice, injuries have depleted the Cavaliers' wing rotation and pressed Tyson up inot the starting lineup. Twice, Tyson has been exactly what the Cavaliers needed.

Tyson's box score on Wednesday night against the Miami Heat was not the stuff of legends; he scored just four points on 2-of-7 shooting, missing all three of his 3-point attempts. He chipped in five rebounds, four assists and three fouls.

Yet Tyson was everywhere, including locking down Miami sharpshooter Duncan Robinson (3-for-9 for the game). He was skying above bigs like Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware for rebounds. He was threading bounce passes to teammates or even tossing lobs up to Evan Mobley. If you want to see a glue guy at work, watch Tyson against the Heat.

He finished the game +15, a key contributor to the team's 126-106 victory. The Cavaliers don't need an on-ball scorer with delusions of grandeur; they need Josh Hart.

Hart, of course, is a noted "Cavs Killer" because he is constantly doing the little things to help his team win. When the New York Knicks punked the Cavaliers in the 2023 Playoffs, it was in large part because Cleveland couldn't keep Hart -- listed at just 6'4" -- off the offensive glass. In his playoff debut, Hart was the one for whom the lights were "not too bright" and he made the Cavs pay.

Now the Cavaliers have their own version of Josh Hart, a player with a relentless motor that is incredibly versatile and makes winning plays in all sorts of ways. Tyson was indeed telling the truth when he stated the player he models his game after -- and it's a truth the Cleveland Cavaliers are happy to claim for their own.