The Cleveland Cavaliers may not be advancing to the playoff rounds of the Summer League, but the team had an overall encouraging showing in Vegas.
Who were the standouts and who left Vegas with more questions than answers? Here are three winners and one loser from the Cavs' summer league run.
Winner: Nae’Qwan Tomlin
Tomlin was arguably the Cavs’ best player in Vegas. It’s still hard to believe that this is a guy who has only been playing basketball for four years and then see him produce at such a high level.
In four games, Tomlin averaged 20 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 58 percent shooting and 41 percent from three-point range. In his final game against the Kings, he had ten offensive rebounds and two defensive rebounds. You don’t often see ratios like that when it comes to rebounding. That stat alone demonstrates how relentless Tomlin is when he plays and how high his motor is.
Tomlin will be on another two-way deal with the Cavs this season and after a strong summer league, he has landed on Cleveland’s radar when it comes to a roster spot. The Cavs have one roster spot left and if Tomlin can put together another strong G-League season, he will find himself with a permanent spot in the NBA.
Winner: Jaylon Tyson
The objective for Tyson entering his second year has been earning a rotation spot with Cleveland. With a strong summer league, he has gotten closer to that goal.
With Craig Porter Jr. suffering a hamstring injury in the first game, Tyson took on primary ball-handling duties for the Cavs and he did not disappoint. He averaged about seven assists per game to go along with 20 points and looked more comfortable when it came to creating his own shot and for others. He did average four turnovers per game, so that will need to be cleaned up, but it was encouraging to see the 2024 first-round pick look much improved.
Tyson does the little things very well. He plays with energy, always makes the right play, and never looks rattled. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has said he plays and acts like a ten-year veteran. His summer league performance showed that and maybe the young forward will be the missing piece for the Cavs this season.
Winner: Tristan Enaruna
Enaruna was a pleasant surprise for Cleveland in Vegas and likely earned himself a spot on the Cleveland Charge for this coming season.
Enaruna averaged 13 PPG on 56 percent shooting and 43 percent from three-point range. His shooting stroke looked confident and he showed off some great range on his shots. He looked extremely comfortable offensively and defensively he played with great energy and showed off his versatility. Enaruna has great positional size as well, standing at 6’8” and has the profile of a 3 and D wing.
The Cavs currently have one two-way spot left. Multiple guys on the roster are competing for that designation and Cleveland does need to continue to develop their wings to complement their core four. Enaruna has all the tools to be a great wing piece and a strong summer league showing may get him that coveted two-way spot.
Loser: Craig Porter Jr.
This offseason was a crucial one for Porter, as the Cavs wanted him to take the next step in his development. Coming into Vegas, it seemed that the third-year guard had been rising to the challenge, as a player and as a leader.
Unfortunately, Porter’s summer league lasted only seven minutes, as he suffered a hamstring injury and wasn’t able to suit up for the rest of the games. Porter did have seven points in those minutes and nailed a three, but definitely not the summer league the guard wanted to have.
This season is a make-or-break year for Porter. The coaching staff wants to see if he has what it takes to be a reliable rotation piece. With Darius Garland set to miss a little time to start the season, that will be Porter’s next chance to show that he has improved after an injury-plagued summer league.