NBA Draft Profiles: Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant could be a target if the Pelicans trade back into the NBA Draft. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
With news that the Pelicans are looking to trade into the NBA Draft to grab a small forward or center plenty of questions have been raised about the plan of the front office. Out of all of them though the most important seems to be which player, or players, have caught the eye of the front office enough to cause them to try to work themselves back into a pick. Instead of trying to guess exactly the player, Pelican Debrief has decided to just break down 18 small forwards and centers leading up to draft day (two reports will be posted daily) so that Pelicans fans will be ready no matter where or when the team trades into the draft and selects a player.
Like KJ McDaniels who we profiled yesterday morning Jerami Grant enters the 2014 NBA Draft with a bunch of athleticism and a bunch of questions about his game. The difference between Grant and McDaniels though lies in how much they have to grow, as McDaniels has shown more NBA ready abilities so far than Grant who was held back a bit, especially on defense by the way things were done at Syracuse.
The Basics:
Age: 20
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 214 lbs
Wingspan: 7’2.25”
Standing Reach: 8’11”
Max Vertical: N/A
2014 Stats: 32 games, 31.4 mpg, 12.1 ppg, 49.6 FG%, 67.4 FT%, 6.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.6 bpg
NBA Draft Projections: Mid to late first round
Strengths:
Physically and athletically Grant is ready for the NBA. Grant has prototypical NBA small forward size at 6’8” and with a 7’2.25” wingspan meaning there isn’t going to be problems with him adjusting to playing against people bigger than he is. Unlike a lot of prospects at that size Grant also has a bit of muscle on his frame already meaning that he should be able to stand up to the more physical game he is entering into, yet there is also room for more growth in his body. Grant adds NBA athleticism to his frame as he is an explosive leaper who moves around the court quickly and fluidly.
Grant used that length and athleticism to become an elite finisher at the rim where he scored almost all of his points this season. He attacks the paint whenever he can which led to him not making a three-pointer all season. Grant shot 57 percent at the rim this season in the half court and 68 percent in transition which were both great numbers for someone who didn’t pose a threat at all as a jump shooter. What all the attacking and finishing also led to was a ton of free-throws for Grant who took 5.6 per game. The percentage could have been better but the willingness to attack even in traffic is a good sign.
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Weaknesses:
Grant is still a raw prospect and his playing at Syracuse didn’t help in that regard because Grant saw most of his minutes as a power forward offensively and all of his defensive minutes in the patented Syracuse 2-3 zone. Offensively, Grant’s role as a power forward meant that he didn’t get a lot of chances to do much besides score at the rim. He was used on cuts, in transition and as the roll man in pick-and-rolls like most big men are. Defensively Grant will have a lot to learn in regards to man-to-man work, especially in help side rotations. There is a bit of a history of NBA prospects coming out of Syracuse struggling at that end of the floor so there should be a bit of a worry but Grant at least has the tools to be an elite NBA defender.
While Grant wasn’t asked to shoot often he also didn’t do it well when he got chances which is a worry going forward. He isn’t going to get away as a power forward in the NBA, especially since he lacks a post game so he will need to learn to shoot to keep defenses honest. To do that his motion and release must be fixed but there is evidence that Grant is a hard worker so there will be hope. Ultimately Grant’s NBA success will depend upon his growth, the player he is now will struggle to see time and success but if he learns to shoot and can pick up the intricacies of an NBA defense he can become something much more.
Projected Role: Early on it is hard to see Grant getting a ton of minutes for whoever drafts him but if he develops as hoped he looks like a guy with a great shot to be a good 3-and-D wing. If he doesn’t he looks a lot like Al-Farouq Aminu, an elite athlete and defender who kills an offense.
Information and statistics for this report were found at DraftExpress. To see more, including the DX video for Grant go here.