Jaylon Tyson Closes Out NBA Summer League With Another Big Game

The former Cal star scores 23 points on 9-for-10 shooting and draws raves from ESPN analyst Channing Frye

Jaylon Tyson / Cleveland Cavaliers

After Jaylon Tyson drove into traffic, scored and drew a foul for an ensuing free throw, ESPN analyst and former NBA big man Channing Frye celebrated the former Cal star.

“It’s a joy to watch him, it really is,” Frye said. “Because it’s the right play.”

Two days after flirting with a triple-double, Tyson produced another excellent performance as the Cleveland Cavaliers closed out NBA summer league play with a 100-93 win over the Indiana Pacers at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon. 

Tyson scored 23 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field, had five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot in 29 minutes and convinced Frye he’s ready to contribute.

“The Cavaliers want to know, does he fit into the NBA game, is he going to help us win games?” Frye said. “Absolutely he does. Just shows me they picked the right guy.”

The 20th pick in the NBA draft, Tyson didn’t have the ball in his hands for much of the game, as he did Thursday when he basically played point guard and posted 21 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Playing off the ball more often in this one, he was more a scorer than a facilitator. He made both of his 3-point attempts, scored on drives to the basket and posted up a couple times. Throughout, he played at his pace and under control.

“He looks like a five-year vet,” Frye said.

The 6-foot-7 wing, who came to Cal last season as a transfer from Texas Tech and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors began the fourth quarter on the bench.

Tyson returned to the court with exactly 7 minutes left and the Pacers leading 74-73. He wasn’t used as the point guard the next three minutes, then was handed the wheel.

With 3:16 left, he assisted on a 3-pointer by Jayson Graves giving Cleveland an 86-83 lead. Tyson scored on a drive to the hoop with 2:52 left, maintaining the three-point margin. And with 1:42 to play, he bounced a behind-the-back pass to Pete Nance, who swished a 3-pointer to make it 94-89.

“What can’t he do?” Frye said. “I’ll bet he’s a doctor . . . moonlights as a mechanic  . . . saves birds.”

Tyson iced the game for Cleveland (2-3) by converting two free throws with 7 seconds left, giving him his summer-league scoring high.

During a sideline interview between the third and fourth periods, Tyson said summer league has been a fun experience. 

Looking ahead to training camp and the regular season, Tyson said his goals are “just learn, play the game the right way and win. Learning from winners. I didn’t want to go to an organization that’s not known for winning. With the team we have, I think we can go further than we did last year.”

The Cavs finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record last season, beating Orlando in a seven-game series to open the playoffs before losing 4-1 to the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

Tyson continues to be motivated by what he perceives as folks doubting him. “Nobody told me I would be here in this position right now,” he said. “Every day I want to prove to people why I’m here and prove it to myself. Just work hard and be the best basketball player I can be.”

In five summer league games, Tyson averaged 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He shot 59 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point distance.