Our own Nathan Grubel runs through his top performers heading into their sophomore seasons at the 2025 NBA Vegas Summer League, covering who has grown their games in meaningful ways.
I’m just not sure he’s going to be an impactful NBA wing long term if his defense doesn’t get there. He put up counting numbers, but between the turnovers and still some things I see defensively, I just have questions as to if he’s going to be a rotational guy for Cleveland, a team that’s trying to win a championship.
There’s certainly a pathway. Defense is a concern but with Ty Jerome and Isaac Okoro gone, wing-size and playmaking on the bench is a need. Cleveland’s certainly exploring the open market for befitting options, but Tyson might be the best option as an in-house solution on a late-first rookie deal.
Turnovers in Summer League never bother me, especially with potential sophomore rotation pieces, as most of the time it’s a result of an immense role expansion and enhanced creative leash. My biggest concern, though, is shooting. For as little attention as Okoro drew for Cleveland on his threes, he was 42.3% on unguarded C&S looks. Tyson was a decent shade beneath that.
Still, though, I was a big fan of what I saw in Summer League. He might be more Denzel Valentine than Josh Hart, but the finishing/slashing, size, handling and vision impressed a ton. Totally see where you’re coming from, though.
For sure. I was pretty high on Tyson coming into the draft because of those things, and the creative passing has been on display through both SL’s and G League action. I was just hoping to see a bit more from him and I personally didn’t see it. But maybe I’m wrong and he’s going to do well in 20+ MPG for the Cavs this year. I’d love that.
Great stuff! No Jaylon Tyson, though?
I’m just not sure he’s going to be an impactful NBA wing long term if his defense doesn’t get there. He put up counting numbers, but between the turnovers and still some things I see defensively, I just have questions as to if he’s going to be a rotational guy for Cleveland, a team that’s trying to win a championship.
There’s certainly a pathway. Defense is a concern but with Ty Jerome and Isaac Okoro gone, wing-size and playmaking on the bench is a need. Cleveland’s certainly exploring the open market for befitting options, but Tyson might be the best option as an in-house solution on a late-first rookie deal.
Turnovers in Summer League never bother me, especially with potential sophomore rotation pieces, as most of the time it’s a result of an immense role expansion and enhanced creative leash. My biggest concern, though, is shooting. For as little attention as Okoro drew for Cleveland on his threes, he was 42.3% on unguarded C&S looks. Tyson was a decent shade beneath that.
Still, though, I was a big fan of what I saw in Summer League. He might be more Denzel Valentine than Josh Hart, but the finishing/slashing, size, handling and vision impressed a ton. Totally see where you’re coming from, though.
For sure. I was pretty high on Tyson coming into the draft because of those things, and the creative passing has been on display through both SL’s and G League action. I was just hoping to see a bit more from him and I personally didn’t see it. But maybe I’m wrong and he’s going to do well in 20+ MPG for the Cavs this year. I’d love that.
Love that thinking. Despite our best attempt at accuracy in our evaluations, we’re always hoping our expectations are exceeded.