The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the season with high hopes for Jaylon Tyson. With Dean Wade and Max Strus out of the equation, he was supposed to take a bigger role, even with Mario Hezonja and Peyton Watson arriving.
So far, that hasn't been the case. He's not even starting for Kenny Atkinson's team, with Sam Merrill taking his place. However, instead of leading the second unit as a clear-cut Sixth Man of the Year candidate, the third-year guard/forward has struggled mightily.
Tyson is averaging roughly 20.8 minutes a night, and that's not doing him any favors. He's the type of guy who needs touches to get into a rhythm, and the Cavaliers should strongly consider sliding him into the starting lineup, or at least playing him starter minutes.
Jaylon Tyson needs more minutes to break out of his slump
Over the first five games of the season, Tyson is averaging just 7.8 points per game on 41.0 percent from the floor and a horrid 22.7 percent from beyond the arc. He's also averaging 2.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Tyson is a stat-sheet stuffer. He can play hard on both ends of the floor, create for others, force turnovers, and score from all three levels. That said, he's looked much better when given a longer leash, and he's struggled in diminished roles.
Merrill is a good role player, and the Cavs have found some synergy with him on the court, but he's not a better player than Tyson. He's a better shooter, and he's taken some steps as a defensive presence, but he's not a plus defender and doesn't bring much more to the table than his floor spacing.
Granted, the Cavs might not want to fix what's not broken. The starting lineup is playing well, and the team has a winning record. That said, the thought of having Tyson bring an offensive spark off the bench isn't working, and the team is struggling to hold onto leads whenever the second unit is on the floor.
Maybe it's time to shake things up, let Merrill space the floor with the reserves, and put the ball in Mario Hezonja's hands more often as the lead guy when the starters get some rest. That would give them another intelligent and dynamic player who can put the ball on the floor and do a little bit of everything while Tyson plays with the starters.
Or perhaps it's just a matter of trusting Tyson to shoot his way out of this slump and earn his minutes the hard way. Whatever the case, Coach Kenny has to get in the film room with him and figure out what's wrong.
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