The Cleveland Cavaliers needed a backup point guard in the worst way last season. On paper, signing Lonzo Ball would be the move that would elevate their second unit to new heights, given his playmaking, defensive, and shooting prowess.
Suffice it to say that wasn't the case. Ball was atrocious, to say the least, all while Ty Jerome flourished with the Memphis Grizzlies. Jerome, who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting the previous campaign, showed shades of a true breakout.
Fast forward to today, and the word 'shades' might not do the trick anymore. He torched the Utah Jazz for 45 points, seven rebounds, six assists, five three-pointers, one block, and just one turnover in a 123-106 win. The signs were there; we just missed them.
The Cleveland Cavaliers could use Ty Jerome right now
Of course, playing Monday morning quarterback is a dangerous game. While Jerome had just played the best basketball of his career, there were legitimate reasons to let him walk away in free agency, though they should've at least tried to retain him.
The Cavs were deep into the dreaded second apron, and giving Jerome the same three-year, $28 million contract he signed in Memphis would've resulted in upwards of $50 million in luxury tax penalties as a repeat offender.
Also, while Ball had a long history of injuries, he had actually played pretty well before his brief and infamous stint in The Land. On paper, he was a better fit, as he was also a much better defender than the usually timid Jerome.
Ty responded by putting up averages of 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 steals, shooting 47.4 percent from the field, 42.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.5 percent from the charity stripe, posting a 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after just 15 games.
Jerome picked up things where he left them and went off in the season opener. Granted, the Jazz's perimeter defenders aren't necessarily All-Defense-type guys, but not every player can put up 45 points on 17-of-25 shooting.
With Ja Morant no longer in the picture and the Grizzlies likely being a bottom-feeding team again, Jerome will probably have a green light to take as many shots as he can handle, so these box scores will continue to be painful reminders of a bet that didn't go the Cavs' way.
Kenny Atkinson helped him find his groove, and now, someone else's reaping what the Cavs sowed.
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