Scouting Report on Syracuse forward Jerami Grant.
Or should I say orange? Forward Jerami Grant of the Syracuse Orange to be exact. If the last name sounds familiar you may not be surprised to hear that the Orange swingman is the son of former NBA player Harvey Grant. You may remember Harvey as the “lesser twin brother” of Horace Grant, certified bad man of NBA ball during the nineties. Jerami’s pops was no slouch either, whose athleticism and doggedness earned him a well deserved decade in the Association. Not unlike his old man, Jerami’s game is built upon tenacious defense and athleticism.
Grant is your prototypical Syracuse player. He is tall (6’8″), athletic, and long (7’2.5″ wingspan!), which when grouped with similar players, gives Jim Boeheim’s ballyhooed matchup-zone razor sharp bite. Grant often highlights this swarm of arms and legs by locking down entire sides of the court, blitzing the weak side with blocks, pulling down contested rebounds and just being a general terror on defense. His activity level is off the charts on both sides of the floor, always looking for opportune moments to attack.
Grant uses his above-average athleticism to play above the rim and grab hard to get buckets off loose balls and offensive rebounds. He is always a threat to throw down a demoralizing dunk if you give him any runway room and catches lobs with ease. You cannot leave him open on the perimeter either, where Grant can utilize a respectful mid-range jumper. Grant can out-athlete his opponents on the block as well, capable of quick spins and up-and-under moves.
The downside to Jerami Grant’s game is that he is a forward. That’s code for “doesn’t really have a position; he’s a basketball player.” This generally does not bode well for a player’s pro prospects where everyone is aware of the dreaded “‘tweener” label. Unfortunately, Grant is one of those 3/4 ‘tweeners. He has the general skills of a power forward but the size of a small forward. His jumpshot is mechanically okay but he is by no means an outside shooter. Likewise, his handles are more than serviceable for a big man but suspect for a wing. Grant’s athleticism and length can only carry him so far at the next level and will need to translate into more small forward skills if he is to become more than the journeyman type of player his dad was.
The good news is that Grant comes with a pedigree and with that usually a quicker learning curve and higher basketball intelligence. While Grant is masked as a complementary player the stats and eye test tell you that he is at the very least a very efficient one. Only one turnover while pulling down seven boards and nearly a block and steal a game bespeaks to his activity level and smartness. It is always difficult to nail down how much is it the player versus how much is it the Syracuse system, especially on defense with that infamous zone but (a team leading) seven rebounds per game in a zone is generally impressive and if there is one stat that translates from college to the pros it is rebounding.
Thanks to the efficiency and DNA, scouts and GMs will be quicker to take a chance on Jerami in a league always looking for somebody to lock down the other team’s superstar wing like LeBron or Durant. Grant is likely to be a real draft wildcard and workout warrior, capable of being taken anywhere from late lottery to the late first round. The more likely a GM feels he can develop the “3” part of the “3 & D guy” role will determine how high Grant goes on draft day. DeMatha High School products are hard to bet against though, just ask former teammate Victor Oladipo.
NBA Comparison: A floor of Dominic McGuire type and a ceiling of Gerald Wallace/Thad Young.
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