Raw, athletic, and talented, all words that describe Philadelphia 76ers second round pick Jerami Grant. Grant was selected with the 39th pick in this year’s NBA Draft and seems to fit the mold of what Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown want in year two of the rebuilding process.
The raw but talented Grant saw a lot of playing time with the Sixers as he was one of the few players who played in both the Orlando Pro Summer League and the Las Vegas Summer League. Grant averaged 8.0 points and 3.3 rebounds with the Sixers summer league team in Orlando.
Grant played his best game on July 9 against the Brooklyn Nets. In that game, Grant scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, and recorded two blocks in 23 minutes. He also shot the ball well in that game, shooting 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three point range.
Then, Grant went to go play with the Sixers Las Vegas summer league team. In Vegas, the Sixers, just like Grant, did not have a good week. He averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. In comparison, Grant’s scoring decreased from his time in Orlando, but his rebound production improved.
This leads me to idea of Grant playing in the NBA D-League and getting beneficial playing time there. He can benefit from playing in the D-League by getting more consistent playing time which he will get with the Delaware 87ers. The 87ers who were an expansion team last year, had their ups and downs and their roster at times had a lot of shakeup but the one common factor was playing time. Players such as Tiny Gallon and Thanasis Antetokounmpo garnered a lot of playing time and it did wonders for them and their game. For Antetokounmpo, it led him to be drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA Draft. Even though, he is still a raw talent, Grant could follow in the same footsteps with the 87ers.
A few days after the NBA Draft, I had the chance to speak with Ed Isaacson of NBADraftBlog.com and he mentioned that Grant could be on the shuttle bus between Philadelphia and Delaware this upcoming season. Remember, point guard Lorenzo Brown from last season, was on the Philadelphia to Delaware shuttle bus a lot as well. For Brown, that gave him extended minutes that he could not get with the Sixers because of who was in front of him. The same can be said for Grant, for the Sixers, the forwards ahead him are Thaddeus Young, Brandon Davies, and Arnett Moultrie. Depending on what Brett Brown wants to do, Grant could either be right behind Young in the rotation or be the 11 or 12 man on the bench.
For Grant, I think with the Sevens, he will get more one-on-one attention and playing time to develop his game as a 6-foot-8 forward. He will not be rushed in his development because let’s not forget he is only 20 years old.
Right now, Grant doesn’t look like a well polished small forward. He actually reminds me of a tweener, which the Sixers have had over many years including current player Thaddeus Young. Grant will have to grow into his body as he has a tall, skinny frame.
Grant has all the tools to be a great player in the NBA and with the Sixers. He just needs the time which he has with this organization and the right coaching, which he has with Brett Brown. All the help is available to him and if he uses it, he could be a solid building block for this organization.
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