ORLANDO, Fla. — As Phoenix Suns rookie Ty Jerome was forced to sit for the first month of the season, the first-round pick would often learn by watching the game from the sidelines.
But there is no substitution for actual, game experience.
Jerome suffered a sprained right ankle during practice just two days before the start of the regular season, forcing him to miss the first 18 games for the Suns. He eventually was ready to return to the court to play in a pair of rehab games in the G League before re-joining the Suns.
“It was definitely frustrating,” Jerome told Rookie Wire. “Two days before our first game with that happening it was really just unfortunate and frustrating but I had to focus on the rehab.”
On Monday, Jerome finally made his NBA debut.
In 12 minutes off of the bench, Jerome recorded four points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. He was active on defense and helped assist his teammates with some flashy passes.
“It felt great, something I waited on for a while, obviously,” Jerome said. “Just working hard in the rehab process and try to study the game while I was out so I didn’t miss too much.”
Jerome got his second crack at playing on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
The rookie was among the first players off of the bench for head coach Monty Williams as he tries to get Jerome up to speed quickly. Jerome tallied five points, seven rebounds and one assist but struggled in other areas during the 128-114 loss.
Jerome piled up five turnovers in the contest and had a number of passes fall short of its intended target, causing several deflections for the Magic throughout the game. Orlando scored 18 points off of forced turnovers in the contest.
Williams took responsibility for getting his rookie up to speed.
Tonight, he had [five turnovers]. He’s gotta see the floor better and he’s gotta understand the athlete that he is playing against. They got hands on balls tonight with his passes but I have to develop him. I gotta show him on film, show him where the open guy is or where the shot is. It’s on me to develop him.
After missing so much time, the transition for Jerome to the NBA will likely have some bumps along the way. Jerome is still adjusting to his teammates and making the right reads on certain plays.
As is the case for every rookie, Jerome will have some learning curves to deal with this season but unlike most of his peers, his will come much later after missing extended time.
Next up for the Suns: A road matchup Thursday vs. the Pelicans.
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