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Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter national title teammate bullish on duo's Cleveland Cavs reunion
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- Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter national title teammate bullish on duo's Cleveland Cavs reunion
CLEVELAND — The old Virginia Cavaliers are giving the Cleveland Cavaliers a dynamic one-two punch off the bench.
The recent reunion of guard Ty Jerome and wing De'Andre Hunter created by Cleveland's splash move to acquire Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks before the NBA trade deadline expired Feb. 6 has been a smash success thus far.
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Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff has a personal reason to be interested in the development. Huff played with Jerome and Hunter at Virginia when those Cavs won a national championship in 2019.
"I do think that locker room chemistry can help a lot," Huff told the Beacon Journal on Sunday as the Grizzlies visited Cleveland . "I think back in college, it did a lot for us. I think with the Cavs, it'll be the same. It's funny they're both on Cavaliers teams both times.
"I know they were excited [to join forces again]. They were super close back at UVA, and I know they've stayed close since then."
Now Jerome and Hunter are helping the Eastern Conference-leading Cavs roll. They entered Tuesday armed with a seven-game winning streak and a record of 47-10.
De'Andre Hunter, left, and Ty Jerome of Virginia celebrate after defeating Oregon in the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Cleveland Cavaliers players Ty Jerome , De'Andre Hunter in NBA Sixth Man of the Year running
How good have Jerome and Hunter been this season?
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Oddsmakers have Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard as the favorite to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, followed by Hunter. Jerome's strength as a candidate varies more depending on which sportsbook you check, but he's in the mix.
Hunter said he would prefer Jerome to take the honor. Jerome expressed skepticism about his buddy's selfless comment.
"Truthfully, we haven't talked about it one bit," Jerome said. "I'm not BS-ing. The only thing we talk about is winning. Obviously, playing together is really cool. We won a championship in college together, so if we can win a championship in the NBA together, too, like, that's where our mind's at.
"Sixth Man of the Year, I mean, sure, it'll be cool, but it's not really on the forefront of my mind or his mind. I mean, truthfully, they'll probably give it to Payton Pritchard anyway. The league's pushing that, so it is what it is."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) follows through on a 3-point attempt against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 5, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Coming off an injury last season, Ty Jerome has been a revelation for the Cleveland Cavs
In the event any NBA awards voters had been dismissing Jerome's success this season, the Cavs' 129-123 win over the Grizzlies , a Sunday night showdown televised nationally by ESPN, should serve as a wake-up call.
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Jerome scored a career-high 15 fourth-quarter points and finished with 26, accounting for his eighth 20-plus point outing this season. He went 9-of-16 shooting from the field (3 of 7 on 3-pointers) and compiled five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 23 minutes. He compensated for the absence of All-Star point guard Darius Garland (left hip contusion).
"[The other players] were joking they're going to name a floater after [Jerome]," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "So you guys [in the media] can start thinking about that — what his floater is [called].
"We needed his ball-handling. We needed his playmaking. He was phenomenal. He kind of took the game over there for a while and then made big plays down the stretch."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) celebrates his basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 18, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson did not know Ty Jerome could be this good for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Listed as 6 feet, 5 inches and 200 pounds, Jerome has an extensive injury history. Entering Tuesday, he had logged a career-high 53 games this season, averaging 11.7 points on 52.1% shooting from the field (43.7% on 3s), 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 19.1 minutes.
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"I'm happy to see him play well because I always thought he was really talented," Hunter said, "and I always felt like a lot of people doubted him."
Jerome, 27, signed with the Cavs as a free agent in July 2023, yet he appeared in just two games last season because a right ankle impingement sidelined him in October 2023 and led to surgery in January 2024.
"I think everybody who saw him play in college knew that it was only a matter of time and being healthy," Huff said of Jerome's breakout season. "We worked out once or twice this summer when he was at UVA and I was at UVA. I worked out there for most of the summer, and I think he was there for maybe a week or something. The skill's always been there — the talent and the shooting ability. It was just a matter of him being healthy."
Golden State Warriors guard Ty Jerome (10) shoots under pressure from Portland Trail Blazers small forward Nassir Little (10) on Feb. 8, 2023, in Portland, Oregon.
Despite Hunter and Huff's valuable insight, not everyone who has a history with Jerome saw this coming.
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Atkinson was a Golden State Warriors assistant coach when Jerome was on the team in 2022-23. And Atkinson revealed earlier this season he viewed Jerome as a 12th man entering 2024-25.
"One of the coaches asked me, like, 'Was this the same guy? Did you see any of this in Golden State?'" Atkinson said. "I'm like, 'I saw none of this.'
"It's really an amazing story how … he has Steph [Curry]-like minutes sometimes. He's shooting 25-footers. He's getting steals. He's really taking over games."
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Told Atkinson didn't detect this version of him with the Warriors, Jerome said, "They just didn't give me the freedom back in Golden State. That's all."
Entrusted in his latest partnership with Atkinson, Jerome dominated in crunch time Sunday. He completely redeemed himself for picking up a third foul with 7.9 seconds left in the first quarter.
"I had to sit, obviously, most of the first half with those fouls," Jerome said. "[I was] disappointed in that and just trying to keep myself positive and make it up for the group in the second half and fourth quarter."
Virginia guard Ty Jerome (11) celebrates with teammate De'Andre Hunter (12) after making a 3-pointer against Towson on Nov. 6, 2018, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
How is De'Andre Hunter fitting with Cleveland Cavaliers since the Cavs acquired him right before the NBA trade deadline?
When the Cavs traveled to Orlando for a Tuesday night game, they had yet to lose with Hunter on the roster. Through his first five games with Cleveland, he came off the bench four times and started in his Feb. 10 debut when small forward Max Strus (sore right ankle) sat out.
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Heading into Tuesday, Hunter had been averaging 13.4 points on 47.8% shooting from the field (52% on 3s), 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 24.2 minutes with the Cavs. Through his first 42 games this season, 37 with the Hawks and five with the Cavs, he averaged 18.3 points on 46.3% shooting from the floor (40.4% on 3s), 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.2 minutes.
The Cavs landed Hunter by giving the Hawks guard Caris LeVert , forward Georges Niang , three second-round draft choices and two pick swaps.
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Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) stands on the court in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 10, 2025, in Cleveland.
The Cavs coveted the 6-foot-8, 221-pound Hunter on the trade market partly because they needed a long, athletic wing who could add defensive versatility to the rotation and improve their ability to match up with opponents who fit the same profile, especially with the playoffs in mind.
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"He adds a lot of defense," the 7-1, 240-pound Huff said. "I redshirted with him, so he and I played a lot of one on one. I won't tell you how that went, but it wasn't good for me. He's just a phenomenal player, a three-level scorer, can shoot 3s, mid-range, he had that dunk on [ Victor Wembanyama ] a while ago that was really impressive. So I don't think any team would turn that down. I think that helps anybody."
Hunter, 27, scored in double figures in four of his first five Cavs games. Against the Grizzlies, he posted 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field (0 of 4 3s), eight rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.
"Everything that we all thought about him, you're starting to see," Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. "He's a defender. He can shoot it, he can get to the line, create his own shot. I think he's being a little too passive. I think he's trying to still figure things out, and I respect that about him.
"He had a mismatch on the wing [against Memphis], and he was trying to figure out, 'Should I go? Should I pass?' And that's part of being in a new environment, trying to figure things out. [But] he's provided a lot for us."
Virginia guards De'Andre Hunter (12) and Ty Jerome (11) during a game Feb. 11, 2019, in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Atkinson views Hunter's transition to Cleveland a bit differently.
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"He's got some edge to him," Atkinson said. "The physicality we knew about, but he's got some moxie, just the way he shoots the ball, right? There's no hesitation. Sometimes when you come into a new situation, you're trying to fit in. He's just kind of put his hand through the door, like, 'I'm in.'"
Either way, Jerome is a friend capable of aiding Hunter in the locker room and on the court.
"There's something to their connection and their bond and their relationship," Atkinson said. "Ty is probably more of an extrovert and a pusher, so it'd be interesting to keep an eye on that dynamic. But we're not going to hide from it. We're going to highlight it."
The former Cavs are Cavs teammates again.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers' Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter have Cavs championship history
