PISTONS FIRING
Former Thunder forward Jerami Grant is off to a strong start with Detroit
When the Denver Nuggets traded for Jerami Grant during the 2019 offseason, he had a reputation as being a premier role player.
But during the Western Conference final sin September, Grant gave a glimpse that his best was yet to come.
He averaged 12 points a game last season in his lone season with the Nuggets after averaging 13.6 points a game the previous season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Grant had never been a primary offensive option in his career, yet he became one of Denver's best scorers against the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals. From Games 3-5, he averaged 21 points per game on 48% shooting. That included a playoff career-high 26 points in Game 3, in which he was aggressive getting to the rim. He drew six fouls, made 10 of his 12 free throw attempts and was Denver's second-leading scorer in a crucial win.
The Lakers learned that when given the opportunity, Grant was capable of punishing them.
His emergence as one of the NBA's best players this season has surprised many, but Lakers head coach Frank Vogel saw the signs in the Orlando bubble.
“We were aware of ways he could hurt you,” Vogel said before the Detroit Pistons' 107- 92 win against the Lakers on Thursday. “He's just doing it more here. He's more involved in the offense. His usage is way up and he's taking advantage of that and playing really efficient offensive basketball.
“The way he was playing last year, what he's doing this year doesn't surprise me at all. I think it was a good pickup for Detroit. He's really growing his game into one of the best players in the league.”
Frank Vogel, Lakers head coach
“The way he was playing last year, what he's doing this year doesn't surprise me at all. I think it was a good pickup for Detroit. He's really growing his game into one of the best players in the league.”
After 20 games, it appears Grant' s performance during Game 3 might've undersold how good he actually is.
Grant, who turns 27 in March, entered Monday's game at Denver averaging 23.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists — doubling his averages from last season. He's shooting 44.4% overall, a careerhigh 40.2% from 3 and career-high 87.4% at the free-throw line.
Seven years into his career, he has made the rare leap from role player to star. And the Pistons believe his best has yet to come.
Grant signed with the Pistons because he had a big fan in general manager Troy Weaver, with whom he has along standing relationship. And Weaver promised him a role as a franchise player — something that eluded Grant in Denver.
“J era mi has really worked on his game, become an out standing 3- point shooter ,” Weaver said in December. “There's more there. He's come here because it's a big challenge. I'm going to challenge him to become the best J era mi he can become. I expect him to continue to grow.”
While Grant had proven himself as a floor-spacer before joining the Nuggets, his best skill was his defensive versatility. His value on that end was on display during the playoffs, as he was matched against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard.
The Pistons believed that beyond his defense, Grant was capable of leading an offense. Rather than being a 3-and-D specialist, they saw potential for him to emerge as a two-way force. They offered him a three-year ,$60 million contract that many league analysts believed was higher than his market value, and he signed it, leaving a cont ending Nuggets team to bet on himself in Detroit.
Grant's two-way performance has separated him from the majority of the NBA. Only he and Kevin Durant are averaging more than 20 points and a block per game while shooting at least 38% on five 3s per game. His usage rate from last season has increased from 18% to 26%, but he's scoring the ball efficiently and at a rate (32.1 points per 100 possessions) that compares with Devin Booker (31.9 points) and Brandon Ingram (33.4 points).