Cavaliers Now

UVA in the NBA: Previewing Ty Jerome’s Third Season in the NBA

The former UVA guard figures to play a major role on a young OKC roster in year three

Matt Newton

As the 2021-2022 NBA season gets set to tipoff, it is time to take an in-depth look at the UVA basketball alums in the league this season.

Today, we take a look at Oklahoma City guard Ty Jerome.

Note: stay tuned for previews for Malcolm Brogdon and De'Andre Hunter.

Click here for the preview on Trey Murphy.

Click here for the preview on Joe Harris. 

Updates:

Click here for the preview on Malcolm Brogdon

Ty Jerome has had a turbulent first two years in the NBA, starting with a dramatic draft night. Jerome was selected with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, who traded his rights to the Boston Celtics. Boston then traded Jerome to the Phoenix Suns. Before the season even began, Jerome suffered an ankle injury and did not make his NBA debut until December 2nd, 2019. Jerome was sent back-and-forth between the NBA and the G-League throughout his rookie season as he rehabilitated.

In 31 games played for the Suns in his rookie year, Jerome averaged 10.6 minutes played per game and scored 3.3 points per game. He shot 28.0% from three on 1.6 attempts per game and shot 33.6% from the field.

On November 16, 2020, Jerome was sent from the Suns to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a trade for future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. Jerome suffered another sprained ankle, this time to his left ankle, which delayed his debut for the Thunder until February 11, 2021. As he became healthier and began to play more, Jerome’s numbers improved dramatically across the board from his rookie season.

In his second season, Jerome played in 33 games and averaged 23.9 minutes per game. He recorded 10.7 points per game (up from 3.3 ppg) and 3.6 assists per game (up from 1.4 apg). Most importantly, he increased his three-point shooting percentage from 28.0% to 42.3% on a much higher volume of shots at 5.1 attempts per game. He also shot 44.6% from the field. The improvement in efficiency in addition to his increase in volume is a great sign for things to come as Jerome enters a season 100% healthy for the first time.

Read more on Ty Jerome’s role for the Thunder this season: A Healthy Ty Jerome Could Stand Out Among Thunder Reserves

Oklahoma City this Season

The Thunder have been struggling to find an identity as a franchise ever since the departure of superstar Kevin Durant in 2016. Russell Westbrook led OKC to playoff appearances in three straight years after Durant left, but the Thunder lost in the first round each time. After Westbrook was traded for Chris Paul in 2019, Paul led a young Thunder team back to the playoffs, where they lost in the first round once again. Chris Paul was then traded to the Phoenix Suns and the Thunder went 22-50 in the 2020-2021 season, their first time missing the playoffs since 2009. OKC enters year two under head coach Mark Daigneault, who took over for Billy Donovan after five seasons as coach of the Thunder.

The Thunder will once again have one of the youngest teams in the NBA, as general manager Sam Presti continues to stock up on promising young players and a surplus of draft picks in an attempt to build for the future. OKC is led by point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and lockdown combo guard Luguentz Dort. The starting five figures to be Gilgeous-Alexander (point guard), Dort (shooting guard), Australian lottery pick Josh Giddey (small forward), third-year forward Darius Bazley (power forward), and veteran big man Derrick Favors (center).

OKC has a stockpile of young players on the roster and many will see substantial minutes off the bench this season. We expect Ty Jerome to be one of, if not the first, players off the bench for the Thunder behind Gilgeous-Alexander at point guard or Dort at shooting guard. Jerome’s improvement last season in increased minutes and shots is very promising and the Thunder will be eager to see how Jerome fares in an even bigger role as he begins this season fully healthy. 

He is already shown in preseason play that he has not lost any of that famous "Tyland" range. 

As OKC continues its process of determining which players will be a key component of the franchise as it continues to rebuild, expect Ty Jerome to be given ample opportunity to prove himself this season. 

The Thunder begin their season at Utah on Wednesday at 9pm. 

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Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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