Cleveland Cavaliers backup guard Ty Jerome has played a bigger role for the Cavs in their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers because All-Star guard Darius Garland, who is dealing with a big toe injury, is absent.
But while Jerome is doing a commendable job with his numbers, former NBA guard Patrick Beverley believes he is doing Cleveland more harm than help in the postseason. Pat Bev thinks the University of Virginia standout isn’t cut out for the postseason.
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“He ain’t playing in the playoffs, not at a high level. You see him check in the game, slow feet don’t eat. Yeah, you see him, a white man like that, checking in the game, to give you 30 real quick, or you’ve got to be able to get some defensive stops because that’s what the playoffs is about. If not, they go pick on him,” Pat said.
The Pacers are exposing Jerome’s weaknesses
The 6’5″ Ty was picked 24th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 NBA Draft after helping Virginia win the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball title. He started his NBA career in Phoenix and also had stints in Oklahoma City and Golden State before coming over to Cleveland during the 2023 offseason.
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In 70 games played this season, Jerome averaged a career-high 12.5 points per game while shooting a personal-best 43.9 percent from three-point distance. However, while Ty thrived as the Cavs’ Sixth Man during the regular season, a seven-game playoff series against one team is a different story. And as Beverley said, the guard’s deficiencies, particularly his lack of athleticism, have been exposed by the Pacers.
“It ain’t nothing against him. You can get away with it during the regular season, 82 games. You catch a mother fu**** on a back-to-back. You need some energy. But when it’s a seven-game series, mano-e-mano, and coach is only playing eight mother fuc**** and li’l Jerome get in that mother fu****, oh yeah he’ll get tested. And the minute you don’t slide them the way he needs to slide, the way he needs to slide them, his a** is going to be on that bench. That’s how it goes in the playoffs,” he added.
Hali put “Milk” on skates for the game-winner
Jerome’s shortcomings were highlighted during Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning play in Game 2. After Tyrese missed his second free throw, Ty could not stop the Pacers guard from getting the offensive rebound. He was also the guy whom Hali shot over for the game-winner.
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But that wasn’t all. Jerome was also a terrible 1-14 from the field and scored just two points in 29 minutes on Tuesday. Although he scored 21 points in Game 1, Ty is shooting a paltry 9-34 overall in Games 1 and 2. But despite his struggles and limitations, head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the second game that he would continue to roll with the 27-year-old in the series.
“It was a tough night, but we’re going to roll with Ty,” Atkinson said via Evan Dammarell of ClutchPoints on X. “He’s had a great year.”
Maybe Pat Bev was too judgmental of Jerome after his poor Game 2 effort. Atkinson was just named Coach of the Year, so you have to trust his decision-making. The Cavs will try to cut the lead to 2-1 on Friday in Indiana. We’ll see how Ty responds to adversity and find out who, between Patrick and Kenny, is correct about the Cavs’ point guard.