What we learned from Summer League
Jaylon Tyson showed that he could be ready to be a rotation player as early as next season.
It’s dangerous to make sweeping conclusions after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ performance in Las Vegas Summer League. The competition level isn’t very high and the teams have been constructed with only about a week of practice together. It’s also difficult to project how players will translate because their roles might differ from Summer League to how they fit on an NBA team.
That said, here’s what we (might have) learned from the five exhibition games.
Craig Porter Jr. and Emoni Bates still need to grow
Craig Porter Jr. and Emoni Bates came into Summer League with questions about how they fit into the team’s future. We aren’t closer to getting a resolution on either after their few games in Vegas.
Porter struggled during the second half of the season after opponents forced him to be an outside shooter. This limited his ability to get to the rim and facilitate off of that. Porter worked on his shooting in the three games he played by taking 4.7 threes per game. The issue is he only knocked down 21.4% of them.
Porter also wasn’t able to get to the rim or set up others to the level we saw last Summer League where he averaged more assists and a better field goal percentage. This is the environment to try to add to your skills, but you’d hope for better results from someone who could be vying for rotation minutes.
Bates’s outside shot wasn’t falling in Summer League (28.6%) which isn’t too big of a concern. We know he can shoot. The issue is some of the defensive lapses are still there and need to be cleaned up before he can be trusted to play NBA minutes. Simply plays like this can’t happen, especially in the fourth quarter of a close game.
We know where both of these players’ shortcomings are and where they need to improve. The question is whether or not they’re able to do so.
Luke Travers was a disappointment
You can’t have enough role players who know why they are on the court and excel at doing the little things. Luke Travers theoretically fits that mold. He’s a good team defender and rebounder who knows how to be a connector and cutter on offense. As simple as those things are, they make a huge difference in whether a lineup works. The problem with Travers is that he might not have any good skills.
Dean Wade is a good comparison for Travers. Wade is also a good defender and rebounder who knows why he’s on the court. The difference is that Wade shot 39.1% from three last season and is a better on-ball defender.
A version of Wade that isn’t as good of a shooter or on-ball defender isn’t a useful NBA player. The soft skills are intriguing, but there needs to be some kind of substance to build around.
This was Travers’s third Summer League. He went from averaging 6.6 points on .480/.250/.545 shooting splits his first go around to contributing 8.3 points on .481/.000/.875 this time. That wasn’t the type of performance that made you believe he’s grown as needed offensively.
Jaylon Tyson’s playmaking is real
The most important Cavs’ prospect at Summer League was also the most impressive. This team has been looking for a play-making wing for some time. They might have found their answer in Jaylon Tyson.
Tyson’s best performances came in the final two games when he took over ball-handling responsibilities for Porter. He effectively created for others while efficiently carving up defenses when he found an opening. Tyson averaged 22 points, six assists, and 2.5 turnovers while shooting 15-19 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc.
It’s fair to point out that Tyson didn’t pop off the screen as much when he was playing more off-ball. He will need to continue to get used to playing more off the ball after being the entire focal point of the offense at Cal. That said, it’s clear that he has the skills to do so.
The Cavs need more facilitators considering they heavily feature two centers who can’t create their own shots. That’s why the additional playmaking that Caris LeVert and Max Strus provided last season was so beneficial despite the limitations of their games. The Cavs need more players who can reliably fit that mold.
Whether or not Tyson grows into that remains to be seen. The skillset for him to do so is there. The question is whether or not he’s able to fully adjust to not having the ball in his hands as much.