Ty Jerome finally made his highly anticipated season debut for the Grizzlies last night. A calf strain suffered against the Miami Heat in preseason prevented Jerome from making an impact sooner. However, Ty Jerome finally got the chance to show the offensive value that he can bring to the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies ended up suffering a lopsided home defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 131-114. The Grizzlies were without stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. and were also missing their entire frontcourt except for Jock Landale. Even in defeat, the offense had a better flow than previous games, and a large part of it was due to the presence of Ty Jerome.
Jerome was impressive despite his minute restriction
Despite being on a minute restriction, Ty Jerome made the most of the minutes he played. In just 20 minutes, Jerome managed to score 20 points and also added 6 assists.
It was clear that Jerome still needs to get into a rhythm; however, he already gave the Grizzlies some much-needed shot-making ability. Jerome went 6 of 12 from the field and also made 6 of his 7 free throw attempts. While the three-point shot was not falling early, Jerome still made two threes, and he will likely be making many more this season.
Ty Jerome's ability off the dribble already made an impact. To start the game, Jerome was able to get two easy baskets on drives to the basket without hesitation. A key element that the Grizzlies have lacked this season is the ability to create consistent rim pressure off the dribble. So far, Jerome is already proving to be a solution in that area.
Jerome is the offensive fit the Grizzlies needed
When signing with the Grizzlies in the offseason, one of the biggest reasons that Jerome signed with the team was so he could play in Tuomas Iisalo's offense. Iisalo's offense features plenty of pick-and-roll, and Jerome showed strong ability as a pick-and-roll ball handler in Cleveland, making him a natural fit.
Jerome was comfortable scoring and playmaking out of pick-and-roll against Minnesota. He was also able to build a strong connection with Jock Landale early. It showed what Jerome could potentially do with a healthy Zach Edey on the floor with him. The Grizzlies desperately needed healthy guards, and Jerome just proved that he will likely be one of the best playmakers on the team.
While it wasn't enough against the Timberwolves last night, Jerome showed that he would be a crucial boost to the Grizzlies offensively. Once Jerome can get past his current minute restriction, he will feature heavily in the rotation. The Grizzlies have had plenty go wrong, but Ty Jerome can get the Grizzlies closer to winning ways.