The Cleveland Cavaliers are back on track. After a brief skid where they lost to the Houston Rockets, who went on to beat Boston after their wins over the Cavs and the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland is on a three-game winning streak.
The Cavs have battled injuries during this period, as Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert remain out. Okoro is dealing with a shoulder injury and LeVert is out with a wrist injury. Dean Wade is now on the list, as he deals with a knee injury. There is a chance Wade will miss multiple weeks.
Okoro, LeVert and Wade are key role players for the Cavs. In Wade’s case, he is someone they utilize as a starter when necessary. For example, when Evan Mobley missed time with a calf injury earlier this month, Wade was a starter. With Wade and others out, the Cavs are experimenting even more.
In their last two games, the Cavs’ rookie Jaylon Tyson has received significant minutes. In the win over the Miami Heat, Tyson was alongside Mobley as one of the starting forwards. Max Strus moved from forward to guard, as Darius Garland missed that game. This marked Tyson’s second start of his young career. He finished that game with four points, four assists and five rebounds. He also ended up playing 30 minutes. On the defensive end, Tyson did something that can easily go unnoticed but is very impressive. He limited his opponents to 3-of-12 from the field. Donovan Mitchell praised the rookie for his game and what he contributed even if it does not show up on the stat sheet.
“Not many guys that score 20 in college want to come and don’t want the ball, want to do the little things,” Mitchell said about Tyson. “To have that mindset, coming into camp let alone into these games, is huge.”
Right after that game, Cleveland was back in action and they beat the Atlanta Hawks. With Garland back in the starting lineup, Tyson moved back to the bench. He played 17 minutes but had an impressive showing. He finished with 15 points and five rebounds while shooting nearly 67 percent from the field. The rookie is showing what he is capable of and looks like a player that can stay in the rotation. If not long-term (meaning the rest of the season), at least during this period of Cleveland’s multiple injuries.
Tyson’s energy, knowledge of the game and his array of skills are on display right now. Are rookies going to make mistakes? Sure. But what he has done deserves praise and it shows he has a promising future with this team.
The Cavs are in a good spot. And with their All-Stars, the rest of their core (Jarrett Allen) and their reserves including the rookie, they can finish the season on a good note.
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