CLEVELAND, Ohio — After Jaylon Tyson’s Rising Stars selection announcement prior to Monday’s game against Orlando, the Wine and Gold Talk podcast crew dove into his remarkable second-year leap and whether it stacks up against other breakout performers across the league.
“I definitely think he deserves consideration. There’s no doubt about that,” said cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “He has become one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the entire NBA. His points per game, that has risen more so than any other player.”
Yet Fedor quickly cautioned against hometown favoritism, highlighting several worthy competitors.
“All I’m saying is that we’re here in Cleveland. Sometimes we live in this bubble, and we wrap our arms around the guy who’s ours and we just assume that nobody else is doing what he is. And taking nothing away from Jaylon Tyson, he’s been great. He deserves to be in that conversation. But there are a bunch of worthy recipients this year,” Fedor explained.
He pointed to standouts like Washington castoff Deni Avdija, who’s now “a walking triple-double for the Portland Trailblazers,” and Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, who “has gone from late first round pick to he’s probably going to be an All-Star reserve.”
Cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins offered a provocative perspective on what the award actually represents.
“I do think that sometimes the Most Improved Player award is just the fulfill your potential award. Congratulations, former lottery pick on finally cashing in your talent,” Watkins said.
He contrasted this with Tyson’s journey, noting he “played a lot of college basketball at a bunch of different schools and grinded his way into the first round, grinded his way into the Cavs rotation this year.”
Despite appreciating Tyson’s development, Watkins was blunt in his assessment: “Is Jaylon Tyson a better most improved candidate than Deni Avdija? No, he’s not. Sorry, he’s just not. The leap that Deni Avdija has made is much more difficult ... Deni Avdija is like a straight up star now and so his climb, he has improved much more than Jaylon Tyson has.”
The podcast highlighted how Tyson’s emergence wasn’t expected even by the Cavaliers’ coaching staff. As host Ethan Sands noted, “Kenny Atkinson talked about, not expecting to need 30 plus minutes from Jaylon Tyson a night this season.”
Regardless of whether Tyson ultimately wins the award, Fedor emphasized his immense value to the organization: “I would say that of everything that has happened in the first 48 games this year for the Cavs, nothing has been more important than the development of Jaylon Tyson.”
The conversation underscores a fascinating reality about NBA awards: they’re not just about statistical improvement but narrative, expectation, and perception.
While Cleveland fans may champion Tyson’s case, the podcast reminds listeners that MIP conversations extend far beyond what happens in one city — even if that doesn’t diminish the remarkable leap Tyson has made in becoming an essential piece of the Cavaliers’ future.
Here’s the podcast for this week: