Thunder Guard Primed for a Breakout Year off the Bench

Ty Jerome burst onto the scene midway through last year, and now he's back with a chance to play an even bigger role for Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has made a lot of the “blank canvas” the Thunder will be filling this season.

Projected to have the worst record in the NBA, any form of competent basketball will exceed the expectations that have been placed on the Thunder from the outside.

And while the development of guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Darius Bazley can hand the Thunder some wins ahead of schedule this year, there’s another player who may be primed for a true breakout season.

Reserve guard Ty Jerome proved his could be a positive piece for Oklahoma City from the moment he was called upon last year.

Entering training camp with an injury, Jerome was sent to the G League Bubble to log some minutes and get back into the flow of things before featuring for the Thunder proper, a move which paid dividends for the former Virginia guard.

In his first three appearances for OKC, Jerome averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 rebound and 3.6 assists coming off the bench.

Fast forward to 2021, and Jerome opened up training camp healthy and ready to carve out an even bigger role for himself by trying to get better one day at a time.

“I think whatever happens you come in every day and honestly just try to get better and focus on growth and try to win that day,” Jerome said during Thunder Media Day on Monday. “I think that's my mindset no matter what the circumstances are.”

On top of how comfortable he looked running the second unit for the Thunder last year, Jerome proved to be quite the offensive weapon himself.

Jerome shot 44.6 percent from the field last year, including an eye-popping 42.3 percent from behind the 3-point arc.

At the conclusion of last season, Jerome said he hoped to increase his range even more during the offseason, a goal which he echoed again on Monday.

“I think I'm always going to try to get better every year at my strengths,” Jerome said. “I think that's how you stay in the league for a long time. I think if the team needs me to do something else, I'll do it, but I think my main focus is going to be my strengths.”

With plenty of minutes to go around on the second unit, Jerome could quickly become a focal point, especially if Theo Maledon’s Summer League struggles carry over to the start of the year.

And Jerome’s leadership will be essential as rookies Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins adjust to life in the NBA around him when the reserves are on the floor.

Continuing to add to his offensive arsenal could see Jerome become a key spark for OKC off the bench as their go-to sixth man, and he could make his case as a necessary bench piece for the Thunder moving forward. 

---

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the message board community today!

Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.