Ty Jerome might have to shoot himself into keeping his job in Oklahoma City

UVA alum Ty Jerome enters his fourth NBA season fighting for his job in the backcourt of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jerome’s 2021-2022 season ended in March with a sports hernia injury that required surgery, and opened the door for Theo Maledon to get more minutes in the rotation as a backup point guard in his place.

It’s now looking like Maledon (7.1 ppg, 2.6 rebs/g, 2.2 assists/g, 37.5% FG, 29.3% 3FG) and Jerome (7.1 ppg, 1.6 rebs/g, 2.3 assists/g, 37.8% FG, 29.0% 3FG) will be battling for one roster spot.

You can see in the stats that their output is virtually identical, so it could be advantage Maledon, who is four years younger (at 21), and cheaper (he’s on a on-guaranteed $1.9 million deal for 2022-2023; Jerome is set to make $4.2 million, if OKC decides to extend a qualifying offer.

Thunder GM Sam Presti is building around shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24.5 ppg, 5.0 rebs/g, 5.9 assists/g, 45.3% FG, 30.0% 3FG), point guard Josh Giddey (12.5 ppg, 7.8 rebs/g, 6.4 assists/g, 41.9% FG, 26.3% 3FG) and 2022 draft picks Chet Holmgren, a 7’0” center, and Jalen Williams, a 6’6” small forward.

The OKC backcourt also has Tre Mann (10.4 ppg, 2.9 rebs/g, 1.5 assists/g, 39.3% FG, 36.0% 3FG) and Kenrich Williams (7.4 ppg, 4.5 rebs/g, 2.2 assists/g, 46.1% FG, 33.9% 3FG) competing for minutes.

What could help Jerome stand out would be a return to his 2020-2021 numbers from three. Jerome shot 42.3 percent from long-range in his sophomore NBA season, and that earned him more minutes (23.9, to 16.7 last season) and opened the door for more productivity (10.4 ppg in 2020-2021).

If he can return to form from three, Jerome is a weapon as a catch-and-shoot three-and-D guy.

He’s going to have to shoot his way back into a job, basically.