Two words: Ty Jerome

When Ty Jerome injured his ankle in the second game of the 2023-2024 season, most Cavs fans probably didn’t realize what they were missing. I know I didn’t.

The Cavaliers signed Jerome to a two-year, $5 million contract in July 2023, snatching him from Golden State. At the time, the Virginia alum was a restricted free agent, after playing for one season with the Warriors. Golden State made him a qualifying offer but wasn’t willing to match Cleveland’s bid.

Since his NBA debut with Phoenix in 2019, Jerome has spent most of his career coming off the bench. Prior to this year, Jerome’s most productive season was with Oklahoma City in 2020, when he averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 assists a game. That season, Jerome shot 42% from 3-point range.

The severe high-ankle sprain that Jerome sustained during the Cavaliers’ 2023 home opener sidelined him for the rest of the season, so fans never got a chance to see why the Cavs snagged him from the Warriors – until now.

Thus far, Jerome is averaging 10 points, 3.3 assists and two rebounds per game for the Cavs. According to StatDefender, Jerome leads the NBA in most points per possession (1.56) as the ball handler on the pick-and-roll.

Most Points Per Possession As The Ball Handler On Pick & Rolls (P&R) In The 2024-25 NBA Regular Season (Min. 20 Total P&R Possessions) :

1. Ty Jerome — 1.56
2. Jordan Hawkins — 1.33
3. Payton Pritchard — 1.22
4.… https://t.co/esN1jIdG2d pic.twitter.com/4RqHIgz42C

— Stat Defender (@statdefender) November 11, 2024

And the most impressive stat: He’s doing all of that in 16 minutes of playing time per game.

Even when he’s not putting up noteworthy numbers, Jerome knows how – and when – to make an impact. A perfect example is the Cavs’ 105-100 win over Brooklyn on Saturday.

Jerome had four points and five assists in that game. They all came in the fourth quarter, when the Cavs were digging out from under a double-digit deficit.

That wasn’t lost on head coach Kenny Atkinson.

“Ty was really good at the end of the game,” Atkinson said afterward. “ … Ty’s been a playmaker. You normally don’t think of Ty in that vein. You think more of a connector, smart player. But he’s making plays, and that’s completely surprising to me. That was a hell of a finish, and we needed it.”

While he acknowledged that Jerome “doesn’t have a great reputation as a defender,” Atkinson has been pleasantly surprised by Jerome’s defense as well.

“He’s defending this year, as well as he’s ever defended,” Atkinson said, . “ … He’s been outstanding.”

Through 11 games, Jerome is averaging 1.4 steals per game – a career high. Atkinson said he marvels at Jerome’s ability to generate turnovers, even if his techniques are a bit unconventional.

“He’s got great hands. Even if he gets beat, he pokes from behind. Then he’s got that one if a guy’s coming down really fast at him, he just dives in there and goes for the steal. … He’s got this weird knack for stealing the ball in an unusual way.”

Jerome’s clutch performance down the stretch Saturday night prompted this tweet from teammate Tristan Thompson, which inspired the headline for this article:

two words: Ty Jerome

— Tristan Thompson (@RealTristan13) November 10, 2024

Those two words say it all.