Ty Jerome
The Jazz could be in the market for a point guard this summer, as it’s looking unlikely that Ricky Rubio will be retained by the team. Ty Jerome is one of the more solid point guards in the 2019 Draft class. That’s the word I think of when I see Jerome play: solid.
I don’t know if he has star upside, but if I were a betting man, I’d be quite comfortable betting high that Jerome will be in the NBA for a long time and have a good career. He just knows how to play the game. He’s not the most athletic player, or the longest, but he gets the job done.
He won a National Championship this year at Virginia. At 6-foot-5, Jerome brings a lot of size at the point guard position, something the Jazz like. He averaged about 14 points, four rebounds and five assists per game this season. He’s also been a very consistent three-point shooter during his time at Virginia — he shot 39.9 percent this year.
Jerome also plays on both sides of the ball. Again, he’s a really solid player and I think he can contribute as a backup right away. NBADraft.net compares Jerome to Greivis Vasquez, which I think is a spot-on comparison. When Vasquez was in the league and playing at his best, he was a high-level backup.
Jerome is expected to be selected late in the first round or early in the second round. I’d be very surprised if he’s not available when the Jazz are picking at 23. He’s certainly an option, but I do think there’ll be better candidates available.