Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ty Jerome continued his remarkable start to the NBA season on Monday night, scoring 40 points on 64% shooting against the New Orleans Pelicans despite the team suffering its first loss of the year. Jerome made five of six 3-pointers and seven of eight free throws, engineering a personal 9-0 run in the final 1:43 of regulation to erase a 124-115 deficit and force overtime.
The performance came less than two weeks after Jerome dropped 45 points on the Utah Jazz in the season opener, leaving him averaging 28.3 points per game on 50/42/88 shooting splits through the early schedule. He currently ranks as the league's sixth-leading scorer, prompting discussions about an MVP-caliber beginning — though it remains far too early for such conversations.
From G League to Breakout Star
Jerome's ascent has been years in the making. Five years removed from G League stints, the 27-year-old guard bounced between the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Golden State Warriors during his first four NBA seasons. His breakthrough arrived with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024-25 campaign, where he averaged 12.5 points on 51/44 shooting splits in a reserve role, finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and emerged as a playoff go-to scorer.
In Cleveland's first-round sweep of the Miami Heat, Jerome averaged over 16 points per game, hitting 10 of 20 3-pointers and shooting 51% overall. In Game 1 alone, he poured in 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter on 6-of-7 shooting. Deeper metrics revealed his per-minute dominance: Jerome averaged 22.7 points per 36 minutes, a mark superior to Jamal Murray, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jimmy Butler among others. Limited to 19.9 minutes nightly behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, his scoring potential was suppressed by circumstance.
Grizzlies Investment Paying Immediate Dividends
Memphis recognized the value, signing Jerome to a three-year, $28 million contract in the summer of 2025 — a deal now widely regarded as the league's best non-rookie bargain. After missing the first three-plus months of last season with a calf strain, Jerome debuted with 20 points in 20 minutes. Over the ensuing six weeks, he averaged 0.87 points per minute played, matching Kawhi Leonard and ranking fourth in the NBA among players with at least 10 appearances.
This season, with his minutes increased to 30 per game, Jerome is scoring 0.91 points per minute — fourth-best among players logging 100-plus minutes. His usage rate has climbed to 31.3%, equal to All-Star Jalen Brunson. The scoring surge correlates directly with opportunity: as minutes and usage have risen, so has production.
Elite Skill Set Underpinning the Numbers
Beyond the narrative of an underdog defying expectations, Jerome possesses an elite offensive arsenal. He ranks consistently above the 90th percentile as both a pick-and-roll and isolation scorer, per Synergy tracking data, dating back to his Cleveland tenure. A world-class shooter off the catch and dribble from all distances, his efficiency is not a mirage. While the current MVP-level pace is unlikely to sustain, the foundation is built on years of measurable, per-minute excellence — not a sudden anomaly.
