Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers witnessed the breakout season of veteran guard Ty Jerome.
Following a missed season due to a high ankle sprain, Jerome surged to the best season of his career in 2024-25. The Cavs guard scored 12.5 points per game with jaw-dropping shooting efficiency, knocking down 43.9 percent of his three-pointers.
Jerome's fearless attitude on the court led to outstanding performances, putting his teammates on his shoulders to various wins in the regular season. His momentum carried throughout all 82 games, earning him a spot in the Sixth Man of the Year finalists. It had seemed the Cavaliers found a hidden gem who could ignite the offense from the bench.
In the offseason, though, the Cavaliers pivoted away from Jerome after trading Isaac Okoro in a one-for-one deal for Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball. Jerome, an unrestricted free agent, signed to the Memphis Grizzlies on a multi-year contract to assume the role as a go-to backup behind Ja Morant. After a career-defining season, Jerome headed west to continue his prime years.
With Morant's recent week-to-week ankle injury, Jerome will likely see an early increase in usage and minutes, offering the Grizzlies fans a plethora of memorable highlights and wins. Unfortunately, as Memphis battles for a top position in the Western Conference, those same fans will come to the painful realization the Cavaliers had that led to the separation this past offseason.
Ty Jerome disappears when it matters most
Jerome showcases tremendous talent on the hardwood, especially as a scoring spark plug. His outside shooting and tenacious drives and floaters can be legitimate game-changers. Sadly, as the Cavs learned, those same greatest qualities can turn to his worst shortcomings when defenses gameplan to silence Jerome's scoring output.
In the 2025 Playoffs, Jerome eventually fell to be borderline unplayable as his shooting disappeared, and defenses suffocated his efforts to drive to the basket. Jerome's efficiency fell, shooting 1-of-14 as a starter against the Indiana Pacers after shooting 8-of-20 the game before.
Jerome's scoring came from consistent tunnel vision, at times ignoring open teammates once a double team came his way. While his herculean efforts succeeded in the regular season, defenses neutralized him and used his single-minded scoring against him.
While Jerome will almost certainly earn another campaign toward 6MOTY for his charismatic scoring and team-first attitude, Memphis will need to find a solution to his fatal flaw. Jerome is a professional athlete, capable of adapting to his environment. If Jerome learned from his 2025 errors, he may be a valuable asset in the playoffs for the Grizz. Evolving his court vision and selflessness could expand his game to punish over-commitment by defenses to stop his shooting and driving.
Until the Grizzlies see a refined Jerome, though, the fans will only be waiting to realize the same painful reality that Cleveland Cavaliers fans experienced after he became a fan-favorite piece of Cleveland's greatest season in recent history.