The Cleveland Cavaliers' offense was a juggernaut last season-sharp, efficient, and relentless. But this year?
It’s a different story. The drop-off on that end of the floor has been hard to miss, and while there are plenty of factors in play, Ty Jerome’s absence is quietly shaping up to be one of the more underrated reasons behind the slide.
Jerome, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, hasn’t played a minute this season due to a lingering calf strain. He signed a three-year, $27.7 million deal with Memphis over the summer-an offer the Cavaliers clearly weren’t prepared to match.
But if we take a moment to imagine an alternate timeline, one where Jerome stays in Cleveland and avoids the preseason injury? That version of the Cavaliers might look a whole lot different right now.
Let’s unpack why.
Ty Jerome’s Skillset Was a Perfect Fit for Cleveland’s Offense
Last season, Jerome wasn’t just a solid bench piece-he was a glue guy who helped keep the offense humming when the stars sat. His ability to stretch the floor, make smart reads, and attack off the dribble gave Cleveland a reliable third option behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
And that mattered. A lot.
Start with the three-point shooting. The Cavaliers are firing up a ton of threes this season-43.9 attempts per game, to be exact.
That’s among the highest marks in the league. The problem?
They’re hitting just 33.8% of them, which puts them near the bottom in efficiency. It’s a volume game without the payoff.
Jerome, for his part, shot 43.9% from deep last season. Sure, the volume wasn’t massive, but the accuracy was elite. Plug that kind of efficiency into this year’s offense-even in a limited role-and suddenly the floor spacing looks a lot more functional.
But where Jerome’s absence is really being felt is in the drive game.
Missing the Third Initiator
Cleveland’s offense has always leaned heavily on Mitchell and Garland to create off the dribble, and for good reason-they’re both dynamic with the ball in their hands. But last season, Jerome added another layer to that attack. He averaged 8.4 drives per game, giving the Cavs a reliable third initiator who could collapse the defense, kick out to shooters, or finish at the rim.
This year, the Cavaliers are averaging just 44.2 drives per game, down from 51.2 last season. That drop-off is significant.
When you lose a player who knows how to put pressure on the defense, it forces the offense into more static possessions. Instead of hunting the best shot, Cleveland is settling for what’s available.
And in today’s NBA, “good enough” usually isn’t.
Jerome wasn’t just a floor spacer or a secondary ball-handler-he was a connective piece. Someone who could keep the offense flowing when the starters rested, or when the defense keyed in on Mitchell and Garland.
Defense Was the Trade-Off-But Was It Worth It?
Now, let’s be fair. Jerome wasn’t a defensive stopper.
That’s part of the reason the Cavaliers pivoted to Lonzo Ball in the offseason. Ball brings length, defensive IQ, and a different kind of versatility on that end of the court.
But the offensive void left by Jerome is proving harder to fill than expected.
It’s not that Ball can’t contribute offensively-he can. But he’s still working his way back into rhythm, and the Cavaliers haven’t found that same offensive balance they had with Jerome in the mix. The decision to let him walk may have made sense on paper, but on the court, it’s starting to look like a miscalculation.
Still Time to Right the Ship
Of course, the season’s far from over. Cleveland has the talent, the coaching, and the defensive backbone to turn things around. But if the offensive struggles continue, it’s fair to wonder how much better things might look with Jerome still in wine and gold.
Sometimes, it’s not the stars that make the biggest difference-it’s the guys who fill in the gaps, keep things steady, and make life easier for everyone else. Ty Jerome was one of those guys for the Cavaliers. And right now, that absence is being felt more than anyone probably expected.