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Jaylon Tyson to Cavaliers in NBA draft: Instant grade, analysis, stats for 20th pick
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- Jaylon Tyson to Cavaliers in NBA draft: Instant grade, analysis, stats for 20th pick
INDEPENDENCE — The Cavaliers selected California wing Jaylon Tyson in the first round ( No. 20 overall ) of the NBA draft on Wednesday night.
It would not be reasonable to render a rapid ruling on what type of player Tyson , 21, will become in the league because each guy develops at a different rate and there are countless variables. In other words, evaluating Tyson's projected fit with the Cavs and their strategy is the way to go when judging the pick.
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With that disclaimer in mind, below is our instant draft grade.
California guard Jaylon Tyson shoots the ball against Stanford forwards Jaylen Thompson and Maxime Raynaud, March 13, 2024, in Las Vegas.
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Jaylon Tyson wing to Cavs in 2024 NBA draft grade: Instant reaction
Grade: B
Why: The Cavs need shooting — period. And they especially need shooting if president of basketball operations Koby Altman is really serious about his publicly stated desire to keep their "core four" intact, because the group includes big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley .
Tyson has been a good shooter, not a great one. Last season, he shot 46.5% from the field (36% on 3-pointers) as a junior at California. In the 2022-23 season, he shot 48.3% from the floor (40.2% on 3-pointers) at Texas Tech.
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The Cavs also need wings, and the 6-foot-6, 218-pound Tyson projects as one in the NBA, even though he primarily played point guard at Cal. He averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season. His best offense is as a driver to the basket.
On Wednesday night, Cavs General Manager Mike Gansey explained Cleveland considered Tyson the top player and fit available at No. 20. Gansey said those factors contributed to the organization passing on opportunities to trade down. Gansey also revealed Tyson had the best pre-draft workout with the Cavs despite pushing through a pulled back muscle.
The area in which Tyson must improve the most is defense. Gansey conceded as much, though he said the Cavs don't deem Tyson a defensive liability.
The Cavs have proved they're a good team with back-to-back playoff appearances, yet the bar has been raised because they went all in on taking a significant step by firing coach J.B. Bickerstaff on May 23 and hiring Kenny Atkinson as his successor on Monday. Atkinson , who arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday night, is known for possessing an impressive track record with player development, so Tyson will give the new Cavs coach a chance to live up to the reputation.
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jaylon Tyson NBA draft grade: Instant analysis of Cavaliers' pick
