Ty Jerome isn’t set to play heavy minutes for the Phoenix Suns.

For now, that is. This is Jerome’s first year with the Phoenix Suns, but why is it still so shaky?

The Phoenix Suns return to basketball has had more than a few highlights. The surprisingly strong bench performance against Utah. Deandre Ayton canning a three-pointer (there is a whole piece on it HERE.) Mikal Bridges doing Mikal Bridges things, which are usually really good things that don’t always show on the box score but are superb for the Suns.

However, there have been more than a few areas for improvement as well, and none perhaps so readily apparent as the play of one Ty Jerome.

Consider just the box score for the Phoenix Suns’ most recent scrimmage games.

Vs Utah: 8 points, (3/9 shooting, 0-5 from three) 1 rebound, 3 assists, 25 minutes

Vs Boston: 2 points (1/7 shooting, 0-3 from three) 1 rebound, 2 assists, 22 minutes

Those stat lines aren’t great, right? To be honest, with 20 minutes a contest so far they aren’t even reasonably passable. That almost goes without saying. But the issues for Jerome so far go beyond the numbers.

Defensively, Jerome has been getting lit up. It is pretty clear to see. Defending more athletic players is an issue for him up to this point, and the unfortunate reality is that most of the players that Ty will have to defend are of the athletic variety….hate to break it this way, but it’s true.

With guards like Jevon Carter, Elie Okobo, and newcomer Cameron Payne waiting in the wings, Ty Jerome needs to improve his level of play.

Also, on the offensive end, as an offensive initiator (not the main one, but still) averaging five points, one rebound, and two and a half assists per game with sub-zero shooting percentages in 20 minutes a night aren’t exactly a recipe for success. The shooting (reportedly a strength of Jerome’s) has been nonexistent, as he has yet to connect on a single three-pointer in the bubble, and that’s saying a ton considering he entered Orlando already shooting a frigid 27% from that range.

Now, the book isn’t completely written on Ty Jerome just yet. This has been a rookie season unlike any other, not only with the current world environment due to COVID-19 but also an uneven season for Jerome brought about by lingering injuries that sapped some of his effectiveness. There is hope that with an offseason under him that he can come into his sophomore season more composed on the offensive end and competent on the defensive side of the floor.

Then again, there has been a very long layoff already where Ty revealed that he did get some work in doing the quarantine, and somehow he seems to be playing worse than before the league stoppage.

It’s not curtains for Ty Jerome (especially in just his rookie season) but it would behoove him to make some drastic improvements in play very soon.