Jerami Grant, yay or nay?

[blazerfan11]

Here's Jerami Grant in the Pistons win in Boston. He and Jayson Tatum were guarding each other down the stretch. Not shown in this clip is Grant poking the ball away from Tatum causing a 24-second violation by the Celtics, and Grant defending Tatum as Tatum tried to hit a mid-range shot for a Boston win (Tatum missed). What is shown is Grant's game-winning shot against Tatum. You can see how Grant is very in control of his body near the hoop in that shot and others in the clip.

 

[illmatic99]

Shams.

https://theathletic.com/3198951/202...-news-inside-pass/?source=user_shared_article

 

[wizenheimer]

can somebody refresh my recollection of Grant as far as position. I know he's spent most of his time at PF. But how has he done when he's been matched up against SF's? I'm wondering about his defense against quickness

I've said before I would be pissed if the Blazers traded a top-10 pick for Grant. But if the Pels pick was 10-12 and Detroit accepted Bledsoe instead of Portland's TPE, I'd be OK with that trade

* how good would a starting unit of Dame-Simons-Hart-Grant-Nurkic be? I'd much prefer Hart as the 3rd guard and 6th man but I'm having a tough time seeing Portland with a another high-level forward suitable for the start. I like Little but he's completely unreliable because of his magnetism for injury

* another possibility: Dame-Simons-Winslow-Grant-Nurkic .....That would certainly be a good defensive unit; or at least better than what the Blazers have trotted out the last few years

* or, if Portland landed a top-4 pick: Dame-Simons-Grant-?-Nurkic.....where the ? is one of the PF's like Jabari or Banchero or Murray. Or would it be better if the ? was a SF like Griffin or Mathurin?

I haven't been watching March Madness and don't really have any opinion of any of those guys. Who would be the best fit assuming the Blazers did add Grant?

 

[illmatic99]

* or, if Portland landed a top-4 pick: Dame-Simons-Grant-?-Nurkic.....where the ? is one of the PF's like Jabari or Banchero or Murray. Or would it be better if the ? was a SF like Griffin or Mathurin?

I haven't been watching March Madness and don't really have any opinion of any of those guys. Who would be the best fit assuming the Blazers did add Grant?

I think the lines are blurring a bit between SF/PF these days. On defense, you want ability to switch up/down at least one position. And on offense, we're gonna remain Dame-centric, and Dame hasn't had a pick and pop threat at any forward position since LaMarcus. I think Jabari as the "?" in your above lineup would check a lot of these boxes.

 

[Hoopguru]

The guy that could be there when we pick is Murray. Id select him if he's there, can play both ways.

 

[wizenheimer]

I think the lines are blurring a bit between SF/PF these days. On defense, you want ability to switch up/down at least one position. And on offense, we're gonna remain Dame-centric, and Dame hasn't had a pick and pop threat at any forward position since LaMarcus. I think Jabari as the "?" in your above lineup would check a lot of these boxes.

thanks...of course, it looks like Jabari could be the #1 pick so he very well may be out of Portland's reach

I don't watch much college ball....mainly when it's the Ducks. That's kind of what motivated my questions because I have seen Mathurin and he's looked pretty good when I've seen him. Not sure he's worth a 6-8 pick...maybe?

I was mainly reacting to the continuing reports about Portland's strong interest in Grant. If they do add him using the Pels pick, I was trying to come up with a 5th starter that would keep Hart as 6th man because Dame-Ant-Grant-Nurkic, as a foursome, does not look very close to contention. Of course if somehow Dame/Ant can develop a synergy that Dame/CJ never had, Portland's upside could be higher than I credit

 

[blazerkor]

thanks...of course, it looks like Jabari could be the #1 pick so he very well may be out of Portland's reach

I don't watch much college ball....mainly when it's the Ducks. That's kind of what motivated my questions because I have seen Mathurin and he's looked pretty good when I've seen him. Not sure he's worth a 6-8 pick...maybe?

I was mainly reacting to the continuing reports about Portland's strong interest in Grant. If they do add him using the Pels pick, I was trying to come up with a 5th starter that would keep Hart as 6th man because Dame-Ant-Grant-Nurkic, as a foursome, does not look very close to contention. Of course if somehow Dame/Ant can develop a synergy that Dame/CJ never had, Portland's upside could be higher than I credit

I agree, I'm hopeful but not expectant that Dame and Ant can be more than the sum of their parts when we've seen a very similar duo for the last six years be less than the sum of theirs. If they are complementary on offense and aren't a terrible liability on defense then Dame, Ant, Hart, Grant and Nurk might be the best starting lineup in theory since 2016. If we hit in the lottery and also keep the Pelicans pick I think Dame, Ant, Grant, Jabari or Paolo and Nurk would be really fantastic with both Hart and Nas coming off of the bench... with a clever free agent acquisition and a couple of our young guys popping, that would be a team to reckon with.

 

[Predator]

I actually think

Dame : Ant : Grant : Chet : Nurk would be really solid.

Here’s why: Dame, Ant backcourt is still really defensively challenged. Chet, although not my favorite, is a defensive monster … and can shoot. He would arguably be the best fit, although I think Banchero is the best player followed by Jabari.

 

[blazerkor]

I actually think

Dame : Ant : Grant : Chet : Nurk would be really solid.

Here’s why: Dame, Ant backcourt is still really defensively challenged. Chet, although not my favorite, is a defensive monster … and can shoot. He would arguably be the best fit, although I think Banchero is the best player followed by Jabari.

I don't know if Chet and Nurk have the collective quickness that you need to defend in today's NBA. Both guys move their feet well but slowly. Jabari and Paolo are both much quicker than Chet from what I've seen... so I'd rather have either of them as far as fit goes and as far as overall talent as well.

 

[Predator]

I actually think

Dame : Ant : Grant : Chet : Nurk would be really solid.

Here’s why: Dame, Ant backcourt is still really defensively challenged. Chet, although not my favorite, is a defensive monster … and can shoot. He would arguably be the best fit, although I think Banchero is the best player followed by Jabari.

Let me also add, I don’t think Jerami Grant would buy into the necessary role on this team particularly with Jabari or Paolo. There’s a chance with Chet because I don’t think they’d try and integrate him into the offense as much as Paolo.

 

[Natebishop3]

I actually think

Dame : Ant : Grant : Chet : Nurk would be really solid.

Here’s why: Dame, Ant backcourt is still really defensively challenged. Chet, although not my favorite, is a defensive monster … and can shoot. He would arguably be the best fit, although I think Banchero is the best player followed by Jabari.

I'm willing to give it a shot, but honestly I'm super not excited about Dame/Ant. What the hell is up with this franchise and undersized scoring backcourts????

 

[Predator]

I don't know if Chet and Nurk have the collective quickness that you need to defend in today's NBA. Both guys move their feet well but slowly. Jabari and Paolo are both much quicker than Chet from what I've seen... so I'd rather have either of them as far as fit goes and as far as overall talent as well.

Chet doesn’t need to be quick with his length and he flips his hips really well. And his BBIQ is really high, particularly defensively. Offensively, I question that idea (high BBIQ) but defense wise he’s amazing.

 

[Predator]

To clarify: Chet doesn’t need to be quick because he can give people more space and still contest shots due to his length. I don’t think he’ll get blown by as much as I, and many others, may have thought previously.

 

[Predator]

I'm willing to give it a shot, but honestly I'm super not excited about Dame/Ant. What the hell is up with this franchise and undersized scoring backcourts????

I really don’t see how it would work with Jabari, who is a poor defender from what I’ve seen.

But I’m kind of with you. Partially why I said Ant should be a 6th man and Hart should start but … we know how that goes.

 

[Pinwheel1]

thanks...of course, it looks like Jabari could be the #1 pick so he very well may be out of Portland's reach

I don't watch much college ball....mainly when it's the Ducks. That's kind of what motivated my questions because I have seen Mathurin and he's looked pretty good when I've seen him. Not sure he's worth a 6-8 pick...maybe?

I was mainly reacting to the continuing reports about Portland's strong interest in Grant. If they do add him using the Pels pick, I was trying to come up with a 5th starter that would keep Hart as 6th man because Dame-Ant-Grant-Nurkic, as a foursome, does not look very close to contention. Of course if somehow Dame/Ant can develop a synergy that Dame/CJ never had, Portland's upside could be higher than I credit

If Grant is the move, I would lean towards starting Dame, Hart, Little, Grant, and Nurk. (Simons, Dame, and Hart can still all get 30+ minutes at the guard spot but I would end games with all three)
Our pick would be young and not quite ready to start. I would take BPA. I like Mathurin, but would take Banchero (And Smith of course) before him.

If a good PF is not available I would role with a combo of Winslow and Watford as the backups for Grant.

I also would consider Chet if he slips. The guy is a gamble with his frame, but you can't deny his skill set. If he slips to 7th or 8th I would take him for the future. (after he adds 3o pounds to his frame) I do think he can defend the perimeter against most PFs and would make a good stretch 4 who can help with his off-the-ball rim protection. Much like Watford and Winslow, I love that as a PF he can bring the ball up court and pass to open shooters in transition. Dame and Simons will feast on that.

 

[Natebishop3]

I really don’t see how it would work with Jabari, who is a poor defender from what I’ve seen.

But I’m kind of with you. Partially why I said Ant should be a 6th man and Hart should start but … we know how that goes.

I still think you either need to commit to rebuilding and go with Ant as your lead guard/point guard OR you commit to trying to give it one more shot with Dame and you trade Ant for the best possible haul. I don't see how it's going to work with both of them.

 

[blazerkor]

To clarify: Chet doesn’t need to be quick because he can give people more space and still contest shots due to his length. I don’t think he’ll get blown by as much as I, and many others, may have thought previously.

I don't know... I do get what your saying because the kid really moves well but it's in slowmo and I just don't know if that flies when you have two guys like that sharing major minutes in games in today's NBA. I realize he was able to give the space because of his reach that would allow him more time and when he did get blown by a lot he recovered with that same length and good movement for blocks or contests but with the speed difference in the NBA I think both of those strategies will be really hard for him to continue to rely on. The game is just so much faster. I really think there's no way that Chet can play with a 5 that isn't extremely athletic and unfortunately Nurk isn't even close to extremely athletic. The kind of player that he would flourish with in the front court is Bam, Embiid, Ayton, Robert Williams III, or even Isaiah Stewart. If the guy he plays minutes with is too weak their going to get posted up nonstop and if he's not quick enough neither guy will be able to cover for the other's lack of athletic ability.

That's why anyone talking about Durant and Chet in the same sentence is clearly not paying attention because Durant was and is an incredibly explosive athlete. Chet could be great in this league but who he plays with is going to have to be very specific because while his skill set is wildly eclectic it is not at all versatile. He's like a specialist at a bunch of things but when you look at him overall I think there are a lot of holes that his teammates are going to have to plug.

 

[blazerkor]

I still think you either need to commit to rebuilding and go with Ant as your lead guard/point guard OR you commit to trying to give it one more shot with Dame and you trade Ant for the best possible haul. I don't see how it's going to work with both of them.

I still think that too but current management doesn't seem to be going that way. The crazy thing about all of our speculation is that we're all kind of proceeding to guess at what things might look like with the crazy amount of pick variables and using the the front office as a control but that is an extremely volatile situation itself. Maybe the Vulcans gave Joe the green light on the CJ deal because he convinced them that it was a good deal and now they can see with the Pelicans and CJ having so much success that it wasn't a favorable deal for our situation. So regardless of if the pick conveys or not they hire a new GM during the playoffs to run the organization from the end of the playoffs going forward. Then we might just see what makes sense to someone who hasn't been around here for a decade plus.

I think what will make sense to them is cashing in either Dame or Ant. For those that think that a sign and trade of Ant can't have value because it's a sign and trade, I think you're very wrong. It would be a sign and trade with a restricted free agent who we are very willing to keep, so he should have close to equal value as a sign and trade that he would if he were under contract for the amount that he signs for. I want Dame to win one here but if I were a GM candidate that wasn't some die hard Blazers fan I would definitely pitch ownership on getting the best we can for Dame and building around that, our draft pick(s) and Ant as the foundation for a champion in the not too distant future.

 

[PCmor7]

can somebody refresh my recollection of Grant as far as position. I know he's spent most of his time at PF. But how has he done when he's been matched up against SF's? I'm wondering about his defense against quickness

I've said before I would be pissed if the Blazers traded a top-10 pick for Grant. But if the Pels pick was 10-12 and Detroit accepted Bledsoe instead of Portland's TPE, I'd be OK with that trade

* how good would a starting unit of Dame-Simons-Hart-Grant-Nurkic be? I'd much prefer Hart as the 3rd guard and 6th man but I'm having a tough time seeing Portland with a another high-level forward suitable for the start. I like Little but he's completely unreliable because of his magnetism for injury

* another possibility: Dame-Simons-Winslow-Grant-Nurkic .....That would certainly be a good defensive unit; or at least better than what the Blazers have trotted out the last few years

* or, if Portland landed a top-4 pick: Dame-Simons-Grant-?-Nurkic.....where the ? is one of the PF's like Jabari or Banchero or Murray. Or would it be better if the ? was a SF like Griffin or Mathurin?

I haven't been watching March Madness and don't really have any opinion of any of those guys. Who would be the best fit assuming the Blazers did add Grant?

I'd be starting Little at the 3 instead of Hart or Winslow.

Not a fan of Grant at this time. It'd depend what the Blazers had to part with to get him, though. I thought the Grant from Denver was what we needed. Thought that was a better fit than RoCo. I think Grant doesn't really understand his game at its most valuable and overestimates his worth, and I'm not sure he's a good fit for the Blazers anymore, especially considering what we'd have to give up to acquire him.

 

[illmatic99]

I don't know if Chet and Nurk have the collective quickness that you need to defend in today's NBA. Both guys move their feet well but slowly. Jabari and Paolo are both much quicker than Chet from what I've seen... so I'd rather have either of them as far as fit goes and as far as overall talent as well.

Chet as a PF also takes a transcendent rim protector away from the rim.

 

[Fitz303]

I really don’t see how it would work with Jabari, who is a poor defender from what I’ve seen.

But I’m kind of with you. Partially why I said Ant should be a 6th man and Hart should start but … we know how that goes.

Jabari is a very good defender. It's one of his better traits.

Mike Schmitz goes into a little more detail here

 

[illmatic99]

I really don’t see how it would work with Jabari, who is a poor defender from what I’ve seen.

But I’m kind of with you. Partially why I said Ant should be a 6th man and Hart should start but … we know how that goes.

What? One of Smith's biggest strengths is his defense.

He gets after it on the perimeter and has the length/smarts to do protect the baskets if guys gets past him. And he has a built-in tenacity on defense so his mental makeup also where it needs to be.

 

[Predator]

Jabari is a very good defender. It's one of his better traits.

Mike Schmitz goes into a little more detail here

What? One of Smith's biggest strengths is his defense.

He gets after it on the perimeter and has the length/smarts to do protect the baskets if guys gets past him. And he has a built-in tenacity on defense so his mental makeup also where it needs to be.

Well, I did say “from what I’ve seen”.

And this article talks a little bit about it: Here.

“Smith is a mobile, sizable athlete, but he isn’t the type to sprint around to wreak half-court havoc. Because of his frame and the good-but-not-spectacular burst athleticism that we detailed earlier, I don’t think he has the type of eye-popping recovery ability that could allow him to quickly high-point a shot to erase his own mistakes or those of his teammates. He frequently lets opponents shoot over him, when you’d like to see a contest or a block.

There are also the typical lapses of focus or delayed reactivity that you see from an 18-year-old, so these things don’t alarm me. We occasionally see him fail to make that third effort as the ball moves and his assignment changes along with it.

He’s very much a “right place, right time” type of positional team defender.”

 

[Predator]

Ah, fuck, I forgot a word in my original post. “TEAM defender.”

We need good TEAM defense in order to make up for our guards, which is what Chet excels at. In addition to my OP, I’ll add Chet is an eraser. Jabari is not.

My fault.

 

[Predator]

Chet as a PF also takes a transcendent rim protector away from the rim.

Nah man, use him like the Zags do and how the Celtics use Robert Williams. Use him as the primary help defender and let him roam a little. He’s transcendent because of those abilities, not his ability to just stand below the rim and block stuff.

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

Shams.

https://theathletic.com/3198951/202...-news-inside-pass/?source=user_shared_article

View attachment 46361

I kinda feel like if we get Grant, he will be, to a lesser degree, our version of the Laker's Westbrook experiment. I just don't see him providing enough to get us over the top.

Just say no.

 

[TBpup]

In regards to the OP.......

 

[illmatic99]

Hoopshype:

1:15 Jerami Grant’s future

Scotto: The other night, Detroit played Portland, and Josh Hart and Jusuf Nurkic both posted photos of themselves talking with Jerami Grant on Twitter. I got a kick out of that. It was like an eyes emoji kind of thing. Portland, given their situation where they’re trying to retool and not necessarily rebuild around Damian Lillard looking ahead towards next season, was in the mix to try to trade for Grant at the deadline.

Edwards: The Nurkic and Hart thing was hilarious. I know Hart and Jerami are from the same area… It definitely looks like eyes emoji. I reported it, and you did as well, that the Blazers were one of the teams persistent in trying to get Grant. I don’t think at the time they had the assets Troy Weaver was looking for to trade Grant. He’s somebody they like and a good player. Troy had all the leverage. He doesn’t have to trade Grant.

Portland’s going to find itself in an interesting situation where they could have a high draft pick coming up… Maybe if it’s high enough, it’s an offer the Pistons can’t refuse. If Jerami gets traded anywhere this offseason, it’s going to be Portland. It feels like Portland is still the front-runner.

In terms of Jerami’s future in Detroit, I think it’s interesting. They like him, and he likes it here. I think where they pick in the draft is going to have some type of impact on what they decide to do. If they end up picking in the Top 4 or Top 5 and one of those forwards are there for them, I think it’s possible you could see Grant moved if the Pistons end up with Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith, Keegan Murray, or Chet Holmgren.

On the other hand, if they pick five, sixth, or seventh, and it’s Ben Mathurin at shooting guard, it’d be a Cade Cunningham, Mathurin, Saddiq Bey, Grant, and Isaiah Stewart lineup.

Scotto: A lot of times when a trade is going down in the NBA, it comes down to need and whether there’s a little bit of desperation there. When I look at Portland’s situation, they got Josh Hart. Jusuf Nurkic is going to be a free agent, but there are enough people around the league that believe Nurkic and the Blazers will work out a deal, and he’ll stay there looking ahead towards next season and beyond. If you’re going along with that line of thinking, you’ve got Hart, Nurkic, Lillard. A lot of people around the league also believe Anfernee Simons will remain with the Blazers, and that’s why they made a lot of salary cap-saving moves to ultimately have more room to re-sign him and make another move going forward. Jerami Grant would plug a hole there at the four for them. Given where they’re at trying to compete with Lillard and his timeline, Grant is in the prime of his career at 28.

For Detroit, while Cunningham is a bright young prospect, and they’ve got some pieces there, including a high lottery pick, it seems like the timelines don’t necessarily match there. Some people around the league have always wondered if there was going to be an expiration date. Plus, Grant is seeking a max extension if he can get it. That’s a lot of money, and I don’t know if you’re the Pistons right now if it behooves them to do that.

Edwards: I think a lottery pick would be the kind of sweetener that would do it (get Detroit to trade Grant). Portland is obviously heading towards that trajectory. It wasn’t all the way clear at that point at the deadline. Troy was in no rush to get something done at the deadline. My gut tells me that Portland really makes a legitimate push and goes and gets Jerami.

Scotto: Portland will likely have a high lottery pick. I don’t know if they go that high (in a trade offer for Grant). Maybe a future first-round pick with protections I could see from Portland’s side. When I’m looking at the landscape of teams that, as of today, have interest in Jerami that would have the desperation and assets to get it done, I’d think Portland has a really good shot.

The Lakers had interest, but I don’t think that appealed to Jerami in terms of where his fit would be on that team and the assets the Lakers had. For a while, they were dangling Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and a first-round pick. I don’t know if having another pick at their disposal going ahead will move the needle for that.

When you look at the rest of the NBA, Washington had been linked to him as well, but they got Kristaps Porzingis.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Getting Jerami will do as much for us as getting his dad did. Remember the golden Harvey Grant Blazer years?

 

[HailBlazers]

Getting Jerami will do as much for us as getting his dad did. Remember the golden Harvey Grant Blazer years?

Remember trading him for Sheed?