When he first entered the league, it was thought that he could shoot a few bottom-corner three-pointers and be a defensive titan;
After a while, he showed a little offensive talent, and everyone began to suspect that he should at least be Jeff Green in his heyday;
And now, when he comes one-on-one with silky jumps, flowing dry pulls, we already know how to describe him.
He is Jerami Grant, a man who has gone from blue-collar to all-round striker.
In the '14 draft, Grant was selected by the 76ers with the 39th overall pick in the second round, the team that Grant's father, Harvey Grant, once played. In that draft, there were talented giants such as Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Embiid, etc., and the seemingly mediocre Grant did not attract much attention.
Grant played more than two seasons with the 76ers, averaging 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 142 games before moving to the Thunder in a trade.
In Russia, Grant evolved into an effective 3D player. Especially in the 18-19 season, he averaged 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, shooting 39.2% from three-point range. That year, the Thunder finished second in the West under George's superpower. But unfortunately, George was plagued by a shoulder injury after All-Star, the team lacked stamina, and the Thunder were eliminated by the Blazers in the first round.
After that season, George chose to join forces with the Clippers with Junior, Wei went to the Rockets, the rebuilding Thunder did not keep Grant, and the Nuggets traded a 2020 first-round pick for the all-around forward.
Successive changes didn't put an end to Grant's upward momentum, and he still showed a consistent performance with the Nuggets, and he and Millsap defended and attacked and shared playing time at the No. 4 position.
In the playoffs, Grant was responsible for defending Leonard in the series with the Clippers. In the face of the previous season's FMVP, Grant was undaunted, played a tough defensive performance, and limited Xiaoka's series average to 24.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, shooting 44.2% - you must know that in the previous round of the series, Xiaoka averaged 32.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, shooting 53.8%, a significant drop. The Nuggets scored three consecutive comebacks against the Clippers, and Grant contributed a lot.
At this point, he is an all-around forward who can influence the game in many ways: his three-point shooting, his defense, his offensive rebounding scramble and defensive rebounding protection. However, he has not yet been able to stabilize the output.
If he stayed with the Nuggets, Grant was destined to be a blue-collar worker, and in the Pistons he could get a bigger contract and get more possession, so Grant chose to go east to Detroit.
In the Pistons, Grant did transform. At first, the coach forced him to reduce his passing, and then he changed his pace of play, which meant he had to use plenty of physical reserve. He then began honing his ball control as he could easily grab a rebound, complete a solo counterattack straight from the backcourt, or play a single shot with the ball in a battle. In the end, he developed outside shots for himself, and through tens of thousands of drills, Grant mastered his skills to create shooting opportunities.
Each skill makes Grant better, and his way of playing is intense and consistent, his balance is excellent, and his confrontation ability is getting stronger.
What surprised people the most was not the speed at which Grant was improving, but his thinking to improve the technology. Born into a basketball family, he grew up with basketball, so he has a better understanding of basketball than many people, and with a little guidance, he can understand tactical intent. In the game of electric fire, Grant can also use instinct to complete scoring and defense, which is his most valuable asset.
He averaged 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the 20-21 season, and before his injury last season, Grant was the Pistons' leading scorer, and his offensive ability with the ball was the team's strongest weapon, averaging 20.9 points per game.
This summer, Grant moved again, this time with his new club the Blazers. This time, Grant's career ushered in a new era.
Because in the past in the Thunder and Nuggets, the team had a good record, but there was not much ball, and Grant was more of an outsider; In the Pistons, Grant had excellent numbers, but the team missed the playoffs in a row. This time at the Trailblazers, Grant made a double leap forward both individually and collectively.
The Blazers started with a beautiful 9-4 start and were in the top three in the West, and Grant averaged 20.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, was the team's thigh-level figure, and saved the team many times.
He has all of the most attractive traits of a modern big man, protecting the basket, changing defenses, the ability to defend the outside and make space. Although Grant has less possession than he did during the Pistons, Grant is also a space pitcher or open cut master given his excellent off-ball ability.
Moreover, he can also create good scoring opportunities with Lillard by blocking. Coupled with the fact that he is more nimble and well-rounded than many players of similar size and position, he can misplace singles under the basket and use his skills to tease defenders.
When he gets a misplaced or heads-up opportunity, Grant becomes a great finisher. In the game against the Lakers, Grant was not at all daunted by James in the final moments, a three-threat broke through, and hit the game with a thick eyebrow. This is a complete demonstration of his ability.
Against the Pelicans, Grant singled Zion with consecutive crotch dribbles at the end of the fourth quarter, breaking through the dunk to pull the score apart.
Against the Lone Ranger, Grant stepped up again and scored a team-high 37 points.
Although he didn't enter the league at the age of 28, Grant has been improving and pushing the upper limit of what people expect from him, and his potential seems endless.
"Playing with a lot of great players has helped me grow into a player who can adapt to any situation," Grant said, "and in order to be a good player, I don't need the ball in my hands." I don't have to do it like in a piston. Whatever Chauncey [Billups] needs, whatever Lillard needs, I can do it. ”
Listen, who wouldn't love such a strong and selfless player? Maybe Grant hasn't reached his limit yet, keep looking forward to him!