Jaylon Tyson is proving again and again why he is a game-changing talent in his second season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Drafted in 2024, Tyson rarely saw the court in his rookie year. The Cavs were building a 64-win season and rarely saw opportunities to add another player to an already-full rotation. Showing flashes when he had the chance, though, Tyson never ignored his role when he hit the hardwood.
As the Cavaliers faced injuries to start the season, Tyson quickly saw his role expanded. The offseason Isaac Okoro trade also opened a new rotation spot on the wing and a need for perimeter defense. While Tyson is not the lockdown defender Okoro was for the Cavs, he is a physical and hustling defensive wing who never shies away from any assignment.
Tyson is averaging 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 rebounds per game in his second Cavs season. Through 36 games, Tyson has joined the starting lineup 21 times. He has not only served a positive three-point threat at 45 percent on 4.1 attempts per game, but his positional versatility has given Cleveland chances to run him in the backcourt, on the wing and in the frontcourt.
With all of Tyson's success, head coach Kenny Atkinson has fallen into a bad habit with the young wing, shifting his role and prominence.
Cleveland would regret forgetting Jaylon Tyson
The half-way point of the regular season has just passed, and the Cavaliers are finally back to relative strength. Max Strus has yet to make his season debut, but Cleveland's roster is mostly available.
When the Cavs first got healthy, Atkinson had to rebalance the rotation and find the right formula. Cleveland had been falling short in nearly every game, struggling to stay above .500 and avoid the Play-In race. In that fluctuating timeframe, Tyson started to disappear from Atkinson's offensive gameplan. He left the starting lineup and saw a drop in his field goal attempts.
Establishing himself as a gritty, fearless offensive player, Tyson scored north of 20 points multiple times in a short stretch. Tyson topped his hot streak with a 27-point, 11-rebound performance that included four three-pointers and an effective field-goal percentage of 92.3 percent against the Indiana Pacers back in early December.
Recently, however, Tyson became a ghost on offense. In the first four games of 2026, Tyson scored an accumulative 21 points and saw a sharp decline in shooting opportunities. Against the Pacers on January 6, Tyson only shot twice, exclusively from inside the arc.
Tyson had gone from a fan-favorite hero to a no-show. As Cleveland looked to regain last season's identity, Atkinson forgot about Tyson and looked everywhere else for a solution.
Tyson is reminding the Cavs he's the secret ingredient for success
In Cleveland's latest 133-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Tyson returned to the starting lineup and executed on the opportunity perfectly. He scored 12 points on an efficient four-of-nine shooting, grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and collected one steal.
He was the primary defender on Philly's star guard Tyrese Maxey, forcing tough looks. When defended by Tyson, Sixers players shot 40.9 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from three-point range on 19 attempts. Maxey ended the night shooting five-of-16 from the field with a -22 plus/minus.
While Tyson was not the only defender on Maxey all night, he demonstrated the exact versatility, grit and impact that the Cavaliers need out of a starting wing.
Cleveland has spent years searching for a legitimate 3-and-D small forward to complement the core four. Tyson has proved he is that answer each time he gets the chance. When Atkinson moved away from him, it is no coincidence the Cavaliers immediately felt the effects of not having his presence in the starting five.
By no means is Tyson the deciding factor for each win. He has been present for plenty of embarrassing losses this season, too, but he has never surrended even when his teammates have. Tyson may not be the Cavaliers' number-one star, but he is an increasingly important player to the team's present and future.
The Cleveland Cavaliers found a hidden gem in Jaylon Tyson. Atkinson is still sorting out how to save a tumultuous season, but he cannot afford to make the same mistake he did to start the calendar year. Tyson is exactly who the Cavaliers need, and he reminded Atkinson of exactly that against the Sixers.