If there is one thing we learned last offseason, the Grizzlies got one of the biggest free agent steals in Ty Jerome. A bit of a late bloomer, Ty Jerome has rightfully given Grizzlies fans plenty to believe in after such a short period of time. However, a fair question persists when evaluating the Grizzlies this season. Will Ty Jerome produce at a similar level to his breakout campaign in Memphis last year?
One of the key factors for signing Ty Jerome was how logical of a fit he was for Tuomas Iisalo's offense. Jerome can score at multiple levels, and he's comfortable scoring and playmaking out of pick-and-roll.
Plus, it's hard to not get excited about what he can do playing with guys such as Zach Edey and now Cam Boozer. One of the biggest regrets of last season was that we did not get to see Zach Edey and Ty Jerome play together in the regular season due to injuries.
Now, the question that the Grizzlies will get an answer to this season is how close Jerome can get to sustaining his production from last season.
It was an exciting but small sample size for Ty Jerome
Before signing with the Grizzlies, Jerome had finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year race for the Cavs in the 2024/25 season. Despite struggling in the Cavs' second-round exit to the Pacers, Jerome showed significant offensive growth, and the shooting talent was well on display.
For three years and $28 million, it's clear that the Grizzlies struck gold despite the fact Jerome only played in 15 games due to multiple lower-body injuries. Jerome averaged an impressive 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in just 22.6 minutes per game while recording solid 47.4/42/87.5 shooting splits.
Now, this isn't to knock Ty Jerome, who has improved significantly in the last couple seasons. But will last season's production be sustainable? Jerome will likely have another strong season and should be able to score in double figures regardless. Jerome also gives the Grizzlies another strong playmaker. But it is difficult to envision him scoring again at such a high clip this upcoming season.
Per 36 minutes, Jerome averaged 31.3 points, which was well above the 22.7 he averaged in his last season with the Cavs. It's clear that Jerome possesses plenty of scoring prowess, but when adding players such as Cam Boozer and now a healthy Zach Edey to the mix, it's possible Jerome won't have the same high usage as he did when he played last season.
Based on the current group of guards following the Ja Morant trade, Ty Jerome should be the starting point guard on opening night. Even if he doesn't repeat last season's production, he should still be a driving force for the Grizzlies being a potential surprise team in the NBA this upcoming season thanks to his shooting and ability as a pick-and-roll ball-handler.
But for now, we may have to temper expectations for how much he will score next season.
