In the Cleveland Cavaliers' penultimate preseason game, the visiting Cavs were torn apart by a loaded Boston Celtics crew.
Cleveland entered TD Garden undermanned, electing to rest Donovan Mitchell, De'Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill and Lonzo Ball. In addition to the injured Darius Garland and Max Strus, the Cavs fought the Celtics will a severely limited roster available.
The Celtics took advantage of Cleveland's shortened rotation, winning 138-107 after gaining a 33-17 lead in the first quarter. The Cavaliers' starting lineup consisted of a young and inexperienced trio of Craig Porter, Jr., Tyrese Proctor and Jaylon Tyson alongside veterans Larry Nance, Jr. and Dean Wade.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson took the game as an opportunity to test the resolve of his bench players and his G League squad. New faces took the court for the Cavs, including Miller Kopp, Tristan Enaruna and Chaney Johnson. Former first-round pick Killian Hayes also made his Cavaliers debut, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds off the bench.
Jaylon Tyson was the best Cavalier against Boston
Sophomore wing Jaylon Tyson has had a mixed preseason thus far. In two games against the Chicago Bulls, Tyson scored a total of six points, all of which came in the second game. His shooting form is still far from perfect, but his hustle as a rebounder and defender have been his greatest calling card.
The Cavaliers have trusted Tyson to prove himself ahead of the regular season, viewing him as a potential game-changing role player if he taps into his potential as a do-it-all wing. Compared to players like Josh Hart, Tyson does a little bit of everything on the court.
Against the Celtics, Tyson led the Cavs in scoring, adding 16 points to the scoreboard while shooting two-of-six from three-point range. He also collected five rebounds and dished out four assists in 28 minutes of action. Tyson was tasked with guarding former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, a fellow Cal Golden Bear.
Undeterred by the reputation of his matchup, Tyson's physicality served him well against Brown, limiting the All-Star to eight points on inefficient scoring. Brown has played a more facilitative role for Boston in the preseason, recording six assists against the Cavs.
While the Cavaliers were wholly dismantled by the Celtics, Tyson's performance was a much-needed silver lining against the underwhelming backdrop. Incoming rookie Tyrese Proctor was second in scoring with 12 points.
Outside of scoring, Tyson's rebounding was his best quality. On every missed shot by either team, Tyson immediately leaped forward to grab the ball and secure an extra possession for his squad. Three of Tyson's five boards came on the offensive end, building his case to be a steady contributor for the Cavs this season. If Tyson can continue to create extra opportunities for the Cavs, he will quickly earn a legitimate rotational role.
Clearly, the Cavaliers did not take the game against Boston seriously. The Celtics deployed their assumed opening night starting five and were immediately launching three-pointers with any opening available like always. Cleveland instead focused on testing the depth chart and preparing for the real deal. As the regular season nears, the Cavs' focus is already on the playoffs, choosing to rest stars and key role players for safe keeping.
Ahead of the final preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on October 14 in Cleveland, Jaylon Tyson must take his performance against Boston and use it to build his confidence as a real NBA player. Although it was only preseason, he flashed potential to achieve his goal of entering the Cleveland Cavaliers' nightly rotation in year two.