OKC Thunder guard Ty Jerome praises SGA and Daigneault

Yet another standout for the OKC Thunder is returnee Ty Jerome. The guard makes marks his third year in the league and second with the Thunder this season.

Recently, Jerome spoke about his journey and his dedication and patience — something executive VP Sam Presti has been preaching. Nick Gallo of the Thunder’s official site covered Jerome’s path to finding his place in the league and on the team.

"“The thing I was most proud of is just the times I wasn’t playing last year or times when I was hurt this year watching or when I was in the G-League, just the vision I had and all the work I put in, being able to translate it and for it being able to pay off — consistently too”"

If there is an OKC Thunder player that best embodies hard work, dedication and overcoming adversity there is a solid argument to be made for Ty Jerome. His  Virginia squad made history as the first number one seed to lose to a 16-seed in March Madness. Flash forward one season and Jerome led this team to the championship title versus Texas Tech.

Gallo details the various adversities Jerome faced including a serious hip injury in high school that required surgery. A similar fate befell him upon becoming a pro due to an ankle injury which was the same malady he faced in OKC when he was sidelined for two months after suffering a brutal ankle injury.

OKC Thunder guard Ty Jerome praises SGA and Daigneault

When Jerome did return to the hardwood for OKC he appeared in 33 games registering 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. His value was ever-present as he upped his attempts from the perimeter to 5.1 per game connecting at a robust 42.3 percent and will likely be tasked to shoot even more this season.

Having played at UVA Jerome was asked for his input on the new signee Mamadi Diakite and his expectations of the power forward. Jerome is excited about his addition sharing Mamadi called him immediately and says the Thunder are gaining a great teammate, who plays with energy and will arrive ready to work.

On Mark Daigneault first year at the helm and whether the fact he didn’t play in the NBA factors:

Ty was coached by Monty Williams with the Suns and says while that hold merit in Daigneault’s case he is committed to one through 17 on the team and practices what he preaches (get better every day) and states “We respect him 100 percent”.

On his offseason focus:

The OKC Thunder guard focused on his improving his existing strengths believing that’s the key to a long career. Yet, the guard was quick to state he’ll do whatever his team needs or is asked of him.

On his relationship with SGA and his leadership:

This was an oft-asked question on the day with the question also probing if Gilgeous-Alexander has changed in any way since signing his extension. Jerome delivered a frank and insightful response:

‘Honestly, if you were just hanging out with him for a day, you would never know it (that he signed the big extension). He’s super humble about it. He’s a great teammate every day. He comes in, treats every single person in the building the same way. He comes in trying to get better every day. So I think he handles it as well as I think anybody can. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever been around at any stage of my life. He handles it in a great way.‘

Jerome’s scrappy nature and cerebral qualities are ever-present via his playmaking and understanding team defense. Above all Jerome’s ability to adapt to whatever lineup Mark Daigneault places him on is a huge benefit for the coach. With so many guards on the roster, having one who is 6’5″ that can hit from the perimeter makes him a plug-and-play option with the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Theo Maledon all of whom prefer to drive to the basket.

At 24 he’s one of the older members of the club and will undoubtedly be one of the OKC Thunder leaders. His work ethic and grit are definite attributes the club hopes will rub off on the younger players.