Ty Jerome
Ty Jerome is the kind of player the Utah Jazz love. He has a lot of size for a point guard, being six-foot-five. He also plays defense – any player that comes out of the University of Virginia knows how to play defense. Obviously, defense is the Jazz’s identity and calling card.
In a way, he’s kind of like Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, who also played at Virginia. Brogdon, as a matter of fact, is definitely a target for Utah when he hits free agency. Both Jerome and Brogdon are six-foot-five, they both can play either guard position, and they both are efficient, winners and gritty.
Kind of like Tre Jones, I don’t see star upside in Jerome. However, I think Jerome is solid and will succeed at the NBA level. He’s projected to be a 2nd round pick right now, but could move into the latter half of the 1st round, especially if he has a strong tournament run next month.
During his Junior season with the Virginia Cavaliers, Jerome has averaged over 13 points, four rebounds and five assists per game. He’s shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from downtown.
If I had to give an NBA comparison to Jerome, Brogdon would be the more realistic one. However, I do see a little of Nicolas Batum in him – a smaller, point guard version, of course. They’re both good defenders, good passers and I really like the plays they both make when attacking or facilitating off of screens.