Ty Jerome 'Envisioned' His Success With Oklahoma City
Ty Jerome was sent to Oklahoma City as almost an afterthought, and quickly turned into one of the more exciting projects for the Thunder.
Involved as a part of the Chris Paul, Abdel Nader and Ricky Rubio exchange with Phoenix, Jerome spent some time with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G-League Bubble before returning to OKC to come off the bench.
As soon as he was inserted into the lineup, the former Virginia star made his presence felt.
Jerome scored double figures in six of his first 10 games for the Thunder, doling out five assists or more four times despite only starting once.
And he would only build on his start.
The second-year guard finished the year shooting 42.3 percent from deep, a little over six percentage points higher than league average.
Jerome said that even though his rookie year with the Suns didn’t go to plan, he still had faith that he could achieve this kind of success in the NBA.
“I definitely envisioned it. I envisioned it last year at the times I wasn’t playing in Phoenix too,” he said during last month’s end of the season exit interviews. “But you just never know how it’s gonna happen, so you just try to stay ready.
But even with his increased role with the Thunder, Jerome isn’t satisfied with his game.
“I’m so far from saying “oh, I’ve arrived!” I’m not even close to where I want to be and what I think I can be in this league,” he said. “But I definitely think I took a step in the right direction.”
One area in particular where Jerome made a big jump was his 3-point percentage from the corner.
More than just a scorer, Ty Jerome averaged 3.6 assists per game this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Bill Streicher / USA TODAY Sports
Shooting less attempts from the corner than in his rookie season with the Suns, Jerome improved on his 27.3 percent mark from a year ago to knock down 46.2 percent of his corner attempts with OKC.
Jerome’s improvements in shooting from all areas beyond the arc are a welcome addition to Mark Daigneault’s offense which embraces the analytic-driven strategy of launching 3’s and funneling the ball for high percentage layups close to the basket.
His percentage of shots that were 3’s took a big jump under Daigneault to 58.5 percent, much higher than his 44.2 percent mark in Phoenix.
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The fit in Oklahoma City is a perfect one, because Jerome said he’s always wanted to be able to expand his range even more.
“I want to expand my range even more to be honest. You see where some of these guys shoot from, that can only help you,” he said. “Even those shots I didn’t even think about taking last year. It’s all part of taking baby steps to where you want to go.”
As a result, Jerome’s effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentages both were raised above league average, making him a great asset on any bench in the NBA.
Jerome said he was dedicating this offseason to continue to get stronger and to refine the mental side of his game, but he’s on track to be a key role player for years to come in the league.
“When you work, the longer you’re in the league the better you’re gonna get,” he said.
