Ty Jerome exploded for 45 points on opening day, and if you weren’t paying attention, you missed one of the craziest starts to the NBA season. This wasn’t some total fluke, either. Jerome quietly put up 19.7 points per game last year as a starter for a tanking Grizzlies team, and those were some electric shooting numbers nobody watched. Now? He’s taken another leap, averaging 29.8 points per game through the Grizzlies’ 4-0 start.
Jerome’s Scoring Juice Is Real
Think about it: Jerome always had this funky scoring package. We saw that explosive shooting when he finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting for the Cavs back in 2025. But in Memphis, he’s found an even better fit as the primary option. He’s got a perpetual green light to take and make some truly audacious 3-pointers, and those quirky floaters he throws up? They’ve been automatic. His play over the past week even earned him Player of the Week honors, which is just insane. Yeah, he had a bit of a dud against the Jazz on Monday, going just 4-of-15, but his scoring juice, long-term, is absolutely real. The league needs to wake up because this dude is on fire.
Luka Doncic’s MVP Season Is Officially On Notice
While Jerome is surprising everyone, Luka Doncic is out here reminding us all why he’s been a top-10 MVP vote-getter six times, including finishing fourth last year. This season might be the one where he finally becomes too good for voters to ignore. Luka already put up the game of the season so far, a 52-point masterpiece against the Jazz that shot the Lakers to a 3-0 start. That performance bumped his season average up to a career-high 34.3 points per game. Right now, he’s the league’s best offensive weapon, no question. The Lakers rebuilt their squad specifically to fit Doncic’s special gifts, and you can see that payoff already. Walker Kessler is an unbelievable finisher at the rim, converting a league-leading 82.1 percent of his field goals. Austin Reaves has also taken a serious leap, upping his scoring average to 26.7 points per game on wildly efficient splits: 63.9 percent from the field and an insane 61.5 percent from 3-point range. This Lakers offense, which is ranked No. 1 in the league right now, is going to be impossible to stop. Luka’s got better shooting and teammates with more gravity than last year, making his job even easier. With Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace battling injuries for the Thunder and slow starts for both the Spurs and Nuggets, Los Angeles looks absolutely primed for a top three seed in the West. If that happens, Luka’s MVP resume will be undeniable.
Look, it’s only Week 1. We all know the landscape of the league can shift a ton over the next few months. But these aren’t just minor bumps in the road. These are massive early trends that could absolutely hold. You better believe we’ll be watching these storylines unfold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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