Jaylon Tyson's Confidence is at an All-Time High

As a rookie, Cleveland’s coaching staff worked with Tyson on his release. And the work’s paid off. But is the improved shooting stroke more a matter of mechanics or confidence?

“It was all confidence,” said Tyson. “There's really nothing wrong with my mechanics. Maybe we worked on speeding it up a little bit. But it was more of a confidence thing – getting out of my own head – that made it just skyrocket. So, my thing is being confident in (my shot); and my teammates trusting me with it. They trust me to shoot those shots, I trust myself. So, I’m going to keep shooting it.”

One thing Tyson does not lack – and hasn’t since he arrived in Independence last summer – is confidence. 

After falling to the Blazers on Wednesday night, backup big man Thomas Bryant spoke about the team needing to get its “joy” back.  

And, at times over the past few games, the good guys have struggled to replicate last year’s secret sauce. 

One Cavalier who’s consistently brought his joy to the floor – (and the practice court, and the locker room, and the team plane) – is Cleveland’s live-wire swingman, Jaylon Tyson, who’s putting together a stellar sophomore season. And whether it’s his perpetual smile outside the lines or his dogged tenacity between them, Tyson’s been an indispensable jolt of energy for a team still crafting this year’s identity. 

After starting three games as a rookie, Tyson’s already started 13 games this year – and his numbers are up across the board. He didn’t score in double-figures through the first four games of the season, but he’s done so 11 times in his next 14 outings since. Currently shooting .519 from the floor, he’s second on the squad to only Jarrett Allen. 

They say an NBA player makes his biggest leaps over the summer. And this past offseason was no exception for Tyson. 

“I changed my offseason up a lot,” said the 23-year-old. “Obviously, I played Summer League, and I really didn't take a break from when last season ended to when Training Camp started. Instead of doing a lot of drills and stuff like that, I was playing every single every – like every single day. I’d get my lift in, get some shots up, and play it all day. It was back in Texas, with a lot of NBA guys. And that changed everything. And how I was working out, having somebody guarding me the whole time. 

“So, my biggest thing was getting in the best shape of my life, and all summer, even in open runs playing really good defense, playing hard – and that’s been something that’s helped me be prepared for this year.”

Taken with the 20^th overall pick out of Cal in 2024, Tyson was drafted as a do-it-all player – a quality that this season’s squad has desperately needed, having used 12 different starting lineups through the first 23 games. In his 18 appearances, he’s come off the bench in five, starting 13 – eight at forward, five at guard.  

Casting the sophomore slump aside early, Tyson’s numbers are way up across the board. Heading into the weekend’s back-to-back, the 6-6, 215-pounder is averaging 12.5ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.8apg and 1.17spg. He and Chicago’s Ayo Dosunmu are the only two players in the East this year averaging at least 12.0ppg while shooting better than .470 from long-range.

“I don't feel any different,” said Tyson. “I'm just playing basketball, feeding off my teammates, and trying to do my job. That’s been the main thing this year. My job is my job – to feed off our really good players and make their jobs easier. It’s as simple as that.”

The Cavs brass knew Tyson could shoot the ball coming out of school. He shot 40 percent from deep as a sophomore and notched double-figure scoring in 29 of his final 31 games at Cal. But no one would have expected his marksmanship numbers through the first quarter of this season. Going into Thursday night’s action, at .476 (40-for-84) Tyson ranks 5^th in the NBA in three-point percentage. 

“I’m super-confident,” he smiled. “I feel like confidence makes me a player that can come out here and be able to impact winning. If I wasn't a confident player, I wouldn't feel confident being on the court with guys like Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland. I wouldn't be confident enough to be able to go out there with them and compete with them. So, confidence is everything. They say the NBA, that it's all mental. I agree with that.” 

One person who loves and appreciates Tyson’s bold, good-natured swagger is Head Coach Kenny Atkinson. 

“Yeah, he's a little crazy – in a good way,” quipped Atkinson before Wednesday’s matchup with Portland. “Like, he’s got no filter in a good way. I know his brother plays football, so he's got that he's got that football mentality. You know, he's just brash. He's brash in the locker room; he’s extroverted. But we encourage that. There's no: ‘Hey, be careful with your comments.’ (We’re) more like, ‘Rock with it.’ And the vets, they respect him because he plays so darn hard.”

Tyson’s football mentality is another reason the Cleveland fanbase immediately identifies with him. His father played football at Florida A&M, his older brother, Jerron, played cornerback for South Alabama and is now the school’s Director of Athletic Performance and his younger brother, Jordyn, is a star wideout at Arizona State and likely a First Round selection in this year’s NFL Draft.

“I’ll mix it up,” said Tyson. “If there’s one thing that I’m not afraid of, it’s contact. Football was my first love; I wanted to be in the NFL, but I got a little bit too tall. But, yeah, that family dynamic definitely helped me to become a physical player.”

(On his brother possibly being selected by the Browns this April: “I’ve been speaking on it for a while now!”)

His mental and physical toughness have earned him a spot at the table as a sophomore this season. He’s respected by the squad’s veterans, which allowed him to call out the team for Sunday’s slow start against Boston when speaking with the media. 

The very next night against Indiana, Tyson put his money where his mouth is, helping the Cavs snap a three-game skid with a season-high 27-point, 11-rebound performance, going 10-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. 

All the experience that Tyson is getting right now – starting, coming off the bench, manning different positions – will all pay off personally and for the Cavaliers as a team down the road. The second-year man from Cal got a taste of the postseason last year, but by this spring he’ll be ready to contribute in a major way. 

“This experience now means a lot because I'm getting such critical like game reps,” said Tyson. “There's things I'm learning right now that people don't get to learn until they're three, four, five years down the road in their career. Obviously, I have a really good leaders on the team –Donovan, Darius, they’re constantly on me. And they're tough on me, but I told them: I want that. I want to be great and be my best self for this team. So, I think it's all gonna help me down the line. I just have to stay confident and hopefully my teammates will keep believing in me.”