The season has been an absolute disaster for the Memphis Grizzlies, and there really is no other way to look at it. After dropping their sixth game in a row earlier today, they now sit at 18-29, four games out of the final Play-In spot in the West.
To add insult to injury, they’ve been without centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke for an extended period. Ja Morant got re-injured ahead of the trade deadline. Plus, Scotty Pippen Jr. is yet to even debut for this team.
There is good news, though! Finally, they got Ty Jerome on the floor. Their prized offseason addition from the Cleveland Cavaliers debuted, starting at the point guard spot. In just 20 minutes of action, the UVA product poured in 20 points and six assists.
One of the prime candidates for Sixth Man of the Year last year, Jerome is a player that could lift the spirits and energy of the team in the coming weeks.
More to come on what he brings to the floor in Grind City.
Ty Jerome Ready for Big Role with Grizzlies
It may have taken more than half the year, but Ty Jerome finally got on the court for Memphis. His debut did not disappoint, as he had 20 points in 20 minutes, hitting six of 12 shots and dishing out six assists. With Ja Morant out, he’s PG1 for the interim.
It came as a surprise at first when the Cavs decided not to extend Jerome after his big season last year. They prioritized extending Sam Merrill with their funds instead, a move that has actually worked well for them. Jerome was signed here to a 3-year, $29 million deal, while Merrill received four years and $38 million.
What he showed right away, was an ability to score that has been missing. While Morant has been out, Cam Spencer has been the filler. He has done a more-than-admirable job facilitating, but cannot get to the hoop and create space like Jerome.
We’re talking about a player who averaged 13 ppg in less than 20 minutes a night last season. A dominant playoff debut had everybody talking last year.
The one knock on Jerome is his availability. Just two years ago, an ankle injury in the second game of the season caused him to miss 80. He had never logged more than 49 games in a single season prior to last year, his Achilles heel being a lack of availability.
But now that he’s back, a healthy Ty can be a 20-point scorer every night in this system.
Ty Jerome Ready to Elevate Game
Jaren Jackson Jr. needs a bit of help in Memphis, and it’s now on the way. Injuries have decimated the lineup and certainly lowered their ceiling for this season. But with Ty Jerome back, they can finally add a scoring punch that has long been missing.
Trading Desmond Bane in the offseason was great for draft capital. But for the on-court product, it’s been far worse, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has struggled here just like he did with the Magic.
Looking ahead for Memphis, Ja Morant will be missing a few more weeks. It’s unclear when Scotty Pippen is going to be on the court. Zach Edey missing all the time he has is a major net negative, given the positive impact he had on winning a year ago.
It’s on Jerome to lift this bunch, as only the veteran guard can. He was signed for a reason, and now he’s going to be leading. Great to see the 28-year-old back out there.
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