Philadelphia 76ers: 5 options for pick No. 33 in 2019 NBA Draft
By Alec Liebsch
1. Ty Jerome
Should Ty Jerome fall to No. 33, it would behoove the Sixers to give him a serious look. Akin to other gritty guards who have come from Virginia (Malcolm Brogdon comes to mind), Jerome is a good fit at either guard spot.
Coming from a very cerebral system at Virginia, Jerome knows exactly where to be at all times. He’s not the fastest or most athletic player, but he makes up for it with advanced feel and IQ.
Jerome is an excellent passer in both senses: He makes the right reads almost every time, and also throws the correct passes with pinpoint accuracy. He diagnoses every play in a split-second.
His IQ is not just prevalent on the ball, either. Jerome makes timely cuts and gets to open spots quite well, and can fire off with any iota of space between himself and a defender. Knocking down 39.9 percent of his 5.4 triples per game is evidence enough that he can be an efficient complement.
His limited athleticism puts a cap on who he can guard, but overall he’s a solid defender. He grinds every possession, makes smart defensive reads and communicates well. He can never be the best defender on the floor, but with Simmons and Embiid next to him, that won’t be a problem.
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Ty Jerome is exactly what Philly needs next to its ball-dominant stars. He can run the offense when Simmons and Butler need a break, play off them like Landry Shamet did last season, and compete on defense against the guards that have hurt the Sixers so much in previous years.