Mario Hezonja Offers High Praise On Fellow Cavs Reserve

Oct 24, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Mario Hezonja (33) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mario Hezonja Offers High Praise On Fellow Cavs Reserve

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Zach Weiss | Last updated Oct 26, 2026 1:00 PM ET

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The Cleveland Cavaliers start to 2026-27 is far from ideal. A blown lead to the Sixers and then a very near-repeat performance against the Nets happened two days later. But the good news is that the season is young and this is the time for growth, not tearing it down.

With that said, there are some budding players on this roster, most notably on the bench. And the important part of that is the chemistry being demonstrated between them.

Mario Hezonja was very complimentary of one of his fellow wings in his post-game presser after the Brooklyn game. Let’s talk more about that.

Mario Hezonja Offers High Praise For Jaylon Tyson

Mario Hezonja has been one of the biggest overachievers on this year’s Cavs team through 96 minutes. He has shown serious flashes of being a big-time offensive player for the team. He’s proven both that he’s not afraid of waiving off Donovan Mitchell for a mismatch he already has, and some incredible athletic ability too.

Donovan Mitchell didn't seem too happy with Mario Hezonja calling his own number on this play Hezonja was able to punish the mismatch though pic.twitter.com/J3EW2jFcXY
— Finn Kuehl (@finleykuehl) October 23, 2026

Speaking about his former reserve Jaylon Tyson, he offered some very high praise.

“Yeah, yeah that’s my brother. He was great. He made an impact on the game…he even got hit and I told him to get back up, keep doing what he’s doing on the floor, and that he’s okay. He impacted winning…really happy to share the court with him.”

Mario Hezonja Postgame After Win vs Nets:

“[0:14] It was similar to Philly because we were executing really good to start the game. The third quarter was much better from our starters now in this game…it takes time for things to click. There are no excuses on that but we’re… pic.twitter.com/cOMC6FNP4N
— Dylan (@dillybar2145__) October 25, 2026

Hearing things like this from the newest member of the team is extremely encouraging. It shows that Hezonja has his teammates' backs, and has strong belief in Tyson’s game. He scored 15 in 21 minutes against Brooklyn after struggling to make an impact against Philly. As the seventh man on the team, #20 has a lot of responsibility to produce.

Hezonja very clearly has his back, and loves playing with him. There’s more proof in the incredible second-quarter play between the two of them in the Nets game. Tyson tried to lob the big forward, but the pass was too high. Instead, it was caught at its apex and flicked back out in one motion.

The sequence ended with a Tyson splash. That says all that needs to about the strong chemistry and teammate bond here.

Jaylon Tyson --> Mario Hezonja --> Jaylon Tyson --> THREE POINTSpic.twitter.com/RnXIY5tWUo https://t.co/COcPXfLr9x
— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) October 25, 2026

Two Major Parts Of Cleveland Bench Unit

The primary production from the Cavs bench seems to be expected to come from three guys. Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and Mario Hezonja. The ideal world would be all three playing well on the same night, but one thing at a time.

Hezonja has looked sharp in each game. Tyson had a nice bounce-back. These two are both going to be integral to the team’s success, so may there be more and more quotes from the two of them hyping the other up. It only strengthens their connection on the floor, and it’s been fantastic to see.

They’re both looking to keep it rolling against the Wolves tonight. 7:00 PM ET tip from Rocket Arena.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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