Donovan Mitchell reveals the true message he gave to rising star

Participating in his first NBA All-Star Weekend, Jaylon Tyson was at the free-throw line during the Rising Stars game when his Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Donovan Mitchell literally announced his presence, and yelled at him as he walked to the front row of Crypto.com Arena. While trying to concentrate on making the shot, the 23-year-old lost focus after laughing and dropped it.

“I was trying to win MVP. I’m not going to lie. I was trying to get it,” Tyson recalled during practice last week. “And he’s yelling something in there. But I made it.”

Unfortunately, Tyson’s Tracy McGrady-led Team T-Mac did not have a chance to reach the title match; That doesn’t mean Tyson couldn’t bring out his true self. He led his team with 10 points and five rebounds in 11 minutes.

Tyson said, “The game, I wasn’t that happy because it was only five minutes, and then we had to go off the court.” “So I wanted to keep playing the whole game.”

Tyson dished out two assists, one of which was a highlight reel hook-up with Miami Heat big man Kel’El Ware on an alley-oop while turning the corner. Having missed the opportunity as a rookie, he took this as a chance to show what he was capable of with all eyes on the league’s biggest weekend.

“He plays hard,” Mitchell said. “He plays hard. He’s picking up the whole court. He’s doing all the things. I wish he’d get some help out there. He’s rebounding. He’s passing. He’s doing everything.”

“It’s been nice sharing the court with those guys. In my mind, I know I’m better than a lot, if not all, of those guys,” Tyson said. “I just want to go out there and prove it every day, and then, hopefully, be an All-Star one day.”

Unlike many talents who stay the weekend in Los Angeles, Tyson flew home after Friday to recuperate and prepare himself for the second half of the season. Mitchell was impressed with his professionalism in handling his first All-Star Weekend. He also made sure the talented young forward’s presence was felt when it came to 3-point contests.

Mitchell wore Tyson’s number 20 with his name on the back, as he had done with Sam Merrill’s uniform a few years earlier.

“It was great,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “They have a great relationship. Donovan has embraced Jaylon from day one. The first thing he looked at him, he said, ‘This kid has this crazy work ethic.’ It reminds me a lot of Donovan. So I think he’s a big part of Jaylon’s development. It really helps when your best player contributes to the development of a young player. I thought it was a good move to do so.”

Although Tyson joked that his jersey was “a little big” for Mitchell, he felt his teammate’s love, and that’s nothing new.

Tyson said, “He’s one of those guys that I’ll have a relationship with throughout my career and beyond.” “I’m so grateful to have her. Honestly, I feel like I give her a lot of credit for that year. I go back to that text message; I don’t think people understand how much that text message meant to me and how much confidence it gave me. So I give her a lot of credit for all my success.”

Tyson is referring to when Mitchell approached him in the offseason about “his need” and his confidence in stepping into a bigger role. Mitchell admitted he hasn’t had the kind of year he’s had this year, with the second-year swingman averaging 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.4 minutes per game with the league’s third-best three-point shooting percentage (45.6%) and top-20 effective field goal percentage (60.0%).

It helps to have a shoulder to lean on when things go in different directions, and it was the subject of a heart-to-heart conversation as the two flew to LA together before the festivities began in mid-February.

“I was like, ‘Hey, this can’t be a 40-point night for you. This can’t be a 30-point night. This can’t be a start, this can’t be this,'” Mitchell said. “I told him, ‘Man, you’ve already shown that you’re capable.’ You’ve already shown a lot.” [than] More people have done this in their careers, and you have done it in a little more than half a year.

“So for him to adjust to his role and be OK with it is definitely impressive for a second-year guy. We’ll be on him, and he’s got to continue to earn everything he’s been doing. Nothing is a given, but he’s doing a good job. We’ve got to keep that going.”

Jaylon Tyson, the Cavs’ direction and the reality of the NBA

Since Cleveland shifted its roster with the acquisitions of James Harden, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, the young players have seen a change in their responsibilities and a decrease in playing time. The veterans brought him in because of his experience and the need to adjust to a new group. As a result, players who were praised for their readiness throughout the season have been taken down a peg.

For example, Craig Porter Jr. and Naquan Tomlin have been left out of the current rotation. Tyson is still in the everyday lineup, but not in the same order.

“Defend, rebound, limit mistakes, make shots. That’s what it’s about,” Atkinson said. “In situations like this your package gets reduced, and he understands that, and he’s been great. I think he had a pretty good stretch; that’s how he got in the rotation, right? But now, living forward and looking at the playoffs, we’re seeing a similar role.”

“Once everyone comes back, once we’re fully healthy, it’s going to be a huge sacrifice,” Tyson said. “Whatever that looks like, obviously, the roles will change. But just buying into that role and doing something bigger than any one of us.”

Before Cleveland hosted the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Atkinson was surprisingly tough on Tyson, who played back-to-back games with less than 17 minutes left. This was his lowest total of playing time since late October.

When asked how he can get back to his normal amount of burn, Atkinson explained that Tyson and the guys playing the role have to earn it because of the short window for Cleveland to put the pieces in place before the postseason.

“It’ll come out on its own. It’s definitely a change for him,” Atkinson said. “I understand that, as a young player, it’s not easy. You go from scoring 39 points a couple weeks ago to, ‘My minutes are down a little bit.’ And I think he probably had some games where he wasn’t playing at that elite level. We’ve obviously added three new guys, three new rotation guys. So, it’s been cut a little differently.”

Tyson answers the call

Later that night, Atkinson praised Tyson for excelling in everything that was asked of him, especially guarding Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

“That was kind of the blueprint right there,” Atkinson said. “Offensively, played in the short role, hit catch-and-shoot threes, limited his mistakes, and then played very good defense. We put him out there on the KAT, and he’s big and strong enough to defend him and put pressure on him and bother him.

“Behind Dean, can he be a perimeter stopper? He’s shown he can do that. He’s played really well all year. As young players, [they] Will probably make a few more mistakes than a vet like Dean, but if he wants big playoff minutes, this will have to be it. Can you become our job keeper? It’s a really positive trend: defensive numbers are good, size, obviously, a good rebounder. But there is development. It’s really, ‘Make fewer mistakes and be more solid.’ [with] Game plan stuff.”

Tyson finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists, recording one steal and one block each, turning it over only once. Mitchell was encouraged by Tyson’s performance during the game.

“You saw him tonight as a 5-man, his formation and playing the pick and roll,” Mitchell said. “Pass to him, he’s got a layup, he’s got a floater, he’s making decisions. That’s what we’re going to need from him. That’s his bread and butter.”

While empathizing with how he may be feeling, Atkinson believes Tyson is handling the transition well.

“I don’t think it’s easy for anyone, but he’s an extremely mature person,” Atkinson said. “He gets it. He’s got great veteran support, not just coaches, but vets who explain to him what it looks like, and we have these discussions as a team. And it’s not just Jaylon, right? It’s other role players. It’s Keon. It’s Dennis. It’s just part of the situation when you have a lot of good players on your roster.”

Who knows how Harden’s broken right thumb will affect his role? For example, he probably won’t suit up for 35 minutes per night as he did in Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, as Mitchell and Evan Mobley also missed that game. It appears that Max Strus is on track to make a comeback at some point.

With Mitchell suffering a groin problem, Ellis suffering a fractured left index finger, Schroder suffering a sprained left ankle and Dean Wade suffering a right ankle injury, Tyson will need to return to his pre-trade duties. It’s a constant push and pull.

But whatever is required of him, Tyson will keep his head down and do whatever is asked of him to help the Cavs win.

“I feel like it’s just part of the NBA,” Tyson said. “Unless you’re a superstar, your role is going to change, and I think the best role players adapt to that. It’s something I’ve had to learn to do. I don’t mind that, OK, because obviously, I just want to win. James is here, he wants to win.

“I want to be a member to help him win and get that ring; the city of Cleveland, Donovan, everybody. I want to be a member to help them.”