Philadelphia 76ers: Jerami Grant’s Future Role
Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant has earned his role on the team for the long term with his versatility, but what is his future role?
Philadelphia 76ers versatile second-year forward Jerami Grant has improved from his solid rookie season and has even placed himself among the team’s top players. Grant’s show-stopping blocks and sometimes ridiculous dunk attempts have stayed, for better or worse, consistent this season. His value is proven by his ability to defend multiple positions, which is becoming more of a need in today’s NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers will have some decisions to make, however. It’s no secret the team will be flooded with young and talented bigs next season, and Jerami Grant will be right in the middle of some interesting position battles.
The team will hopefully see in-doubt big men Joel Embiid and Dario Saric finally join Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor in the frontcourt. Rookie Richaun Holmes, unfortunately, seems like an odd man out at this point, as the Philadelphia 76ers could potentially bring in forwards Ben Simmons and Dragan Bender through the 2016 NBA Draft.
With all this potential flooding of big men, the intrigue turns to Jerami Grant, who has been platooning the majority of this season at the power forward and small forward positions. His percentage playing power forward has increased 20% this season from last. That will likely decrease with incoming big men. With Robert Covington seemingly returning as the starting small forward, Jerami Grant will have to fight for minutes wherever he can.
Grant would be hoping for the drafting of power forward Ben Simmons instead of the other potential top pick in small forward Brandon Ingram. Drafting Simmons would simply shift the bulk of Grant’s play to small forward, but if Ingram ends up landing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Grant’s playing time will see significant decreases.
Jerami Grant’s defense is the most valuable aspect of his game, but his limited ability on offense with and without the ball could hurt him. Covington and prospect Brandon Ingram are considerably more well-rounded on the offensive side of the ball compared to Grant, who has struggled with outside shooting. The Philadelphia 76ers will accumulate huge increases in talent next season, but how will Grant have to elevate his game to remain significant on this team?
The Philadelphia 76ers will need Jerami Grant to gain the ability to create his own offense with the ball. Grant’s handles often fail him as he tries to get to the rim, and perfecting that part of his game could make him a much more viable option on offense. The Philadelphia 76ers and fans alike must give up on Grant ever becoming consistent from the outside on offense, so focusing on realistic goals like becoming more confident and less erratic on offense would make huge strides in Grant’s efficiency.
Grant must also improve his rebound positioning. Although less of a weakness than his offensive deficiencies, Grant often finds himself giving up important, but feasible, rebounds due to his poor positioning under the glass. Grant stands at 6’8, so improved positioning will be key to Grant finding more of an important role with the team.
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So, let’s break down the roles in different scenarios.
If Grant doesn’t improve and the Sixers draft…
Ben Simmons or other power forwards. Grant will simply find himself behind Covington as the two will switch depending on whether or not the team is in need of big defensive stops or offensive firepower. Drafting Simmons will allow for some leeway for Grant if the improvements do not come quickly enough.
Brandon Ingram. Grant will be buried behind two small forwards and potentially four big men if he cannot differentiate himself from the other two small forwards while becoming somewhat competent on offense. This would put Grant near the end of the bench while looking to maintain the perspective of his promise.
If Grant does improve and the Sixers draft…
Ben Simmons or other power forwards. Grant will be able to get major minutes at small forward, only behind Covington and maybe Simmons in certain situations. The Philadelphia 76ers could find Grant to become a key component to this rebuilding franchise with offensive improvements and stellar defense.
Brandon Ingram. Grant will have tough times beating out both Covington and Ingram, but may be able to fight his way through the frontcourt in small-ball lineups. Grant’s athleticism and hopeful improvements with the ball should be able to keep Grant relevant moving forward for the Philadelphia 76ers.
As the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuild plan continues to move forward, roster turnover will become more impactful than in recent years. Jerami Grant must become more effective on the offensive side if he wants to stick around for hopeful playoff runs.