Cavs Insider

Cavaliers Star Praises Key Bench Player After Win Over Grizzlies

Cleveland has gotten major contributions from its bench unit.

Gavin Dorsey

Feb 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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It's a star-driven league, and the Cavaliers have as much top-end talent as any.

Cleveland was the only NBA team with three All-Stars this year, but as stellar as Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland have been, the Cavs' bench has been one of the main reasons the team is atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Ty Jerome's breakout has been a catalyst for the Cavaliers as the Sixth Man of the Year candidate has emerged in a big way. His teammates have recognized the jump his play has taken, and Mobley acknowledged how Jerome's game has stepped up following Sunday's 129-123 win against the Grizzlies.

"He's just a great basketball player, all around," Mobley said. "Makes big plays, knows himself, knows how to put his body in the right situations. He just lives for these moments. You see him in the fourth quarter taking big shots and making big shots. He's clearly built for this."

With starting point guard Darius Garland out against Memphis with a hip injury, Jerome stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals on 9-of-16 shooting. Jerome had 15 of his 26 in the fourth quarter, helping lead Cleveland to a seventh consecutive victory.

After playing just two games last season for the Cavaliers, Jerome has become an integral piece to Cleveland's success. The sixth-year guard is averaging career highs in points, shooting percentage, three-point percentage and steals while playing in 53 of the team's 57 games.

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Gavin Dorsey
GAVIN DORSEY

Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and assists in covering a handful of other teams in the On SI network, including the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Texans and Ohio State Buckeyes. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.

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