NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Ty Jerome
By Adam McGee
Weaknesses
Jerome had to fight his way into a major program and a significant role in college, and the reasons for that struggle will certainly apply again as he looks to progress in the NBA.
The New York native is far from athletically gifted, with his appeal as a prospect instead coming by way of strong fundamentals and exceptional smarts. In many ways, the draft process has a habit for overrating physical tools and overlooking existing skills.
That means that although Jerome could be a success as a pro, he doesn’t possess the upside attached to project-type picks that would be required for him to rise too far up the board.
Jerome’s excellent mechanics and footwork may well be put under greater pressure as a pro when he’s confronted with long, rangy defenders. Similarly, his lack of speed could be exposed when matched up with NBA point guards on defense, and also when searching for just a little separation to get a shot or pass away offensively.
Jerome’s exceptional passing should make him more than just a potential 3-and-D guy in the NBA, but it is fair to question whether his ability to do more than that will be restricted by his athletic limitations.
He’s not going to explode past or barrel through defenders to throw down thunderous finishes at the rim, and if penetrating to the basket proves difficult it would certainly take away from some of his appeal as an auxiliary playmaker.
The hope will be that Jerome applies himself to improving where he can, adds new wrinkles to his game along the way, and uses his high IQ to overcome and hide some of the holes in his game.