rkt88edmo said:
https://theathletic.com/5300364/2024/02/26/charlotte-hornets-defense-nba-jaylon-tyson-cal/
tl;dr
Currently projects late first early second, May have trouble carrying his game to NBA level, lacks elite speed, needs to perform well at the tourney to draw more attention. Clearly a dominant scorer for the team and in the conference, playing slightly out of position for his projected NBA role.
I disagree with much of this analysis. Jaylon's game will likely hold up at the NBA level because he's a smart player who, on offense, attacks what the defense gives him and plays controlled defense and within the team's concepts. I also disagree that he lacks elite speed. More importantly, though, he has excellent quickness, which is more important than just speed. Speed is great for things like fastbreaks, chase down blocks, and defensive rotations. Quickness is what gets NBA players that split second they need to get off a shot or get by a defender. Intelligence is what enables a player to take advantage of a given situation. Jaylon has enough of the first and more than enough of the latter two attributes.
With good coaching, Jaylon's NBA floor will be that of a 10+ year journeyman but his ceiling is likely that of an NBA all-star (at least once in his career). He needs to work on improving his handles, playing improved defense (moving his feet better and anticipating earlier), and his outside shot (consistency). Jaylon's skill level is already better than that of many current NBA (bench) players. With good coaching and a dedication to practicing and improving his game, I see Jaylon becoming a more skilled Austin Reaves-type player.
Along those lines, I think Jaylon's future in the NBA will be as a playmaking 2 or 3 who can find his own shot. He's not big enough to play as a 4. He'll be a very good wing player who can score at all three levels. While he's unlikely to be a defensive stopper but he's just quick enough to keep up with most 1s, he's strong enough not to give up too much ground against most 4s, and he'll be able to cover most 2s and 3s in the NBA just fine. He'll do well on team defense but will likely be burned by the superstars (e.g., Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Jamaal Murray), but then again, who doesn't get burned by them?
Teams with late first round picks would be foolish not to draft him. He's the type of (role-)player that contending NBA teams need to become championship teams. He can score when needed but can also playmake for others. He doesn't play outside of himself but can make great plays. He's doesn't need to take over a game but is smart enough to know when he should.
