After missing nearly all last season, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome seemed like an afterthought to some. A nagging ankle injury kept Jerome sidelined. The remainder of the season did not go as planned by either the Cavs or Jerome. After those two appearances, Jerome eventually underwent surgery on his right ankle, which ended the backup guard’s season. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 assists in 7.5 minutes per game in those two games. Jerome also connected on 50% of his field goal attempts but didn’t hit on any of his three-pointers.
After so long, many have forgotten how big of a difference-maker Jerome could’ve been last season for the Cavs. Outside of Caris LeVert, Cleveland’s bench lacked consistency in two key departments: playmaking and outside shot-making. Nearly a fourth of the way into the season, Jerome has showcased more than that. He’s shown he’s one of the best bench players in the NBA.
“It’s a little bit out of nowhere, quite honestly,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Especially for a guy that was on the shelf last year and injured.”
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, Jerome entered the game and broke up what was a back-and-forth first quarter with a 20-point second. In the first half alone, Jerome connected on seven of his nine three-point attempts. He finished with 29 points on 7-12 shooting from three in 23 minutes.
“It’s the scoring,” Atkinson said. “Ty was always a pass-first setup guy. You know, a cerebral connector, and so the aggressiveness to score, and not only the jump shot right? I don’t know what his shot distribution looks like but … the way he’s finishing around the rim is phenomenal.”
Jerome hasn’t weaponized his three-point shooting like he has in Cleveland. Sure, finding comfort on the perimeter and being given a green light from Atkinson helps. However, the way Jerome has played to start the season has completely unlocked the Cavs’ reserves.
Cavs guard Ty Jerome has become a super sixth man
On paper, Jerome takes care of the ball, makes sound decisions when scoring, and shoots efficiently from three-point range when left wide open. He’s a 6’5” point guard who has averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists in 18.5 minutes per game this season, primarily as a reserve. So, why has this resurgence from Jerome seemed so sudden?
“Not playing for a whole year,” Georges Niang said, “People don’t understand what type of mental toll that takes on you. And for him to come back, be prepared, and be phenomenal. He’s been phenomenal since we were doing min-camps in New York. When is he gonna cool off?”
If his performance against the New Orleans was any indicator of things, it won’t be any time soon. Jerome won’t have 20-point explosions in a quarter every night, but he may just be one of the most productive reserves in the entire league. At least, that’s what he seems to believe.
“The amount of work I put in, my teammates, the coaching staff, it’s kind of the perfect storm,” Jerome said when asked why he has this level of confidence. “You believe in yourself, everyone around you believes in you, the coaches are empowering everybody. If I pass up a shot, I’ll get yelled at. [With] that type of belief from everyone around me, you have no choice but to believe in yourself.”
Ty Jerome’s belief will fuel Cleveland going forward
While Jerome won’t have superstar-like performances every night for the Cavs, they will need this confident version of him going forward. Again, last season, Cleveland lacked a calm, steadying presence like the one Jerome has from their reserves. Last week Atkinson called the depth of this team an “embarrassment of riches.”
“When you have this much depth, it’s fun,” said Atkinson
With Jerome playing like he is, fun is an understatement. Jerome is spearheading a Cavs bench unit that is seventh in the NBA in bench scoring. It’s unlocked different lineups and rotations for Cleveland that continually befuddle opponents, keeping things consistently dynamic for the Cavs on offense.
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