Former Cal Star Jaylon Tyson Makes Exhibition Start for Cavs
In his starting role, Tyson contributed 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists as Cleveland opted to rest four starters.
Rookie Jaylon Tyson earned a starting spot in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ second exhibition game on Thursday but was unable to lead his team to victory.
The 20th pick in the NBA draft after one season at Cal, Tyson recorded 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 29 minutes during the Cavs’ 129-117 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Tyson was given the starting role due to the absence of four starters and two other rotation players.
Following an outing where he scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds in his exhibition debut against Chicago, Tyson shot 5 for 7 from the field and successfully made his only 3-point attempt. He also recorded two assists and one blocked shot, though he had four turnovers.
“We really want to take a look at the whole roster and give them a fair shot, with fair minutes and get a good evaluation there,” said first-year Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson before the game. “Just look at different lineups.”
Tyson transferred to Cal from Texas Tech to play under coach Mark Madsen in his first season, helping the Bears improve from three victories in 2022-23 to 13, including a competitive 9-11 record in the Pac-12.
He earned All-Pac-12 honors after averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, eventually deciding to enter the NBA draft with one year of eligibility remaining.
Interestingly, the last three players from Cal selected in the NBA draft — all in the first round — also played just one season in Berkeley. Shareef Abdur-Rahim was the No. 3 pick in the 1993 draft, while Jaylen Brown went at No. 3 in 2016.
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