The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t need much time to bounce back from their first loss of the season.
Even with Darius Garland out with an injury, Kenny Atkinson’s team didn’t have much trouble getting past the New Orleans Pelicans.
Granted, some of that had to do with the countless injuries of their own, but that wasn’t all.
If anything, the Cavaliers got a massive boost from Ty Jerome.
The backup point guard served as their starting playmaker, starting next to Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt.
He exploded for a career-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.
When asked about his career-best performance, Jerome gave his teammates a lot of credit, as their perennial offensive threat frees up a lot of space for him to do what he does best (via Serena Winters):
“I look to my right, I see the MVP in Donovan (Mitchell) and I look behind me and see Ev (Evan Mobley) and JA (Jarrett Allen) and it just frees me up to go be myself,” he said.
Loved what Ty Jerome had to say after his career-high night:
“I look to my right, I see the MVP in Donovan (Mitchell) and I look behind me and see Ev (Evan Mobley) and JA (Jarrett Allen) and it just frees me up to go be myself.” pic.twitter.com/n1Z8cfWlBE
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 21, 2024
Given his recent play, numbers, and impact on the best team in the NBA, Jerome should be the clear-cut frontrunner to win Sixth Man of the Year this season.
The Cavaliers didn’t make a lot of moves in the offseason other than hiring Coach Atkinson.
However, their primary reinforcement may have come from within, as Jerome has been a blessing for this team from the very start of the season after missing most of last year with an injury.
On top of that, they also had a career-best performance from rookie Jaylon Tyson, and there’s just no way to beat a team with everybody chipping in and doing their part.
NEXT: Jaylon Tyson Reveals His Thoughts On First NBA Start
