Ty Jerome Wins Western Conference Player of the Week After Historic Grizzlies Start

The NBA named Ty Jerome the Western Conference Player of the Week for the opening week of the 2026-27 season, the first weekly award of his career, after the Memphis Grizzlies guard averaged a league-leading 34.7 points through a 3-0 start.

He added 4.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31.7 minutes a night. His 12.0 made field goals per game also led the league, and he shot 56.3% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range over a week that ran from Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Oct. 25, according to the Grizzlies.

Jerome, 29, opened his eighth NBA season with a career-high 45 points in a 123-103 win over the Utah Jazz at FedExForum on Oct. 21. He went 17-of-25 from the field, 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and 6-of-7 at the line, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

That broke the franchise record for a season opener. Ja Morant had held it with 44 points in 2020, and Jerome became the fourth player in Grizzlies history to score at least 45 in a game. His previous career high was 33, with Cleveland in Philadelphia on Jan. 24, 2025.

Afterward, he pointed to a defensive mistake Utah made during his 45-point night.

Two nights later at Chase Center, Golden State led by 12 with 3:47 left. Memphis closed on a 17-0 run and won 111-108 over the Golden State Warriors, and Jerome finished with 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep and 3-of-5 at the line.

Sunday at Golden 1 Center, he scored 31 in a 123-112 win over the Sacramento Kings. Jerome shot 8-of-17 and made all 14 of his free throws, a career high for makes. He had 7 assists, scored in double figures in each of the last three quarters, and was plus-27.

He scored at least 20 points in the second half of all three games.

Over those three games, Jerome put up 104 points in fewer than 100 minutes. The Grizzlies said he is one of four players in NBA history to reach 100 points in under 100 minutes across a season’s first three games while his team started 3-0.

The others are Victor Wembanyama in 2025, Trae Young in 2020, and Stephen Curry in 2015.

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said after Sunday’s game that the team played time-and-score games in the preseason to simulate late-game situations.

“The shape he showed up to camp in, he has put a hell of a lot of hard work in this last spring and this summer,” Iisalo said. “And already a year ago, to come back from that calf injury, it really already started a year ago. He’s put himself in a great situation. The confidence that he’s playing with is incredible. He feels that confidence also from coaching staff, but especially from his teammates.”

“And those teammates, at the same time, what is really important and has been in all three games so far, they are working for him to get better opportunities,” Iisalo continued. “You see guys bringing timely screens, whether it’s those small-smalls or five-man screening for him. Everybody’s happy for his success because he also makes our team go.”

“Ty is playing amazing at the moment, and the other guys are enjoying that, and everything is, how would I say, everybody’s still thinking about the team in that situation,” Iisalo added. “Because against Golden State, for example, we had a much more aggressive defense against him that took the ball out of his hands, and then we found solutions through that too. So it’s also a balance of what the other team is doing.”

Jerome signed with Memphis in July 2025. He appeared in 15 games last season and missed time with a right calf strain.

The Grizzlies traded Morant to Portland over the summer, and Jerome has run the offense as the starting primary handler.

Iisalo said after the Golden State win that Jerome had never played that role before in his career.

Memphis plays Utah again Monday night in Salt Lake City, with tip-off at 8 p.m. CT. The four-game trip ends Thursday in Portland.