The Detroit Pistons hit a home run with the Jerami Grant signing, as he is on his way to becoming the NBA’ s Most Improved Player.
But after he dropped 43-points on the Bulls (in a tough loss) I started wondering just how good this guy can be and whether he is untouchable, even in a big trade.
There are certainly some historical comparisons for Grant’s meteoric rise from role player on the Nuggets to star for the Detroit Pistons.
A player like Jimmy Butler comes to mind, as he is a hard-nosed, tough wing who is the best offensive and defensive player on his team.
Like Grant, Butler doubled his per game scoring at around the same age and has since been a five-time All-Star and been named to the All-NBA team three times.
Grant is already a 24 point per game scorer for the Detroit Pistons, grabs his share of rebounds and assists and is the best defensive player on the team.
But can he be even better?
Detroit Pistons: How good can Jerami Grant be?
If Grant turns out to the be the Pistons’ Jimmy Butler than I am 100 percent ok with that, as Butler has led his team to the Finals and is the exact type of player Detroit fans love.
However, it’s fair to point out that Grant is doing this as the centerpiece of a last-place team and might not be putting up these numbers with a more balanced roster.
The argument against this is that Grant is the exact type of player teams want to build around in the modern NBA, a long wing who can defend multiple spots and score from all over, so who’s to say he can’t be the best player on a playoff team?
To me, Grant’s ceiling revolves around his ability as a playmaker and facilitator. The thing that makes Jimmy Butler’s peak better than Grant at this point is that Butler has averaged as many as 7.4 assists per game for the Heat, while Grant is currently getting just 2.9 for the Pistons.
Part of this is that Grant’s teammates are not at his level yet but Grant still needs to improve his passing and playmaking if he wants to get to that elite, All-NBA level.
But as the Detroit Pistons continue to get better around him, Grant’s assist numbers should go up, in which case he will be one of the most valuable all-around players in the league.
Jerami Grant won’t win an MVP but he has the chance to be a perennial face in the All-Star game and a member of several All-NBA teams.
The Detroit Pistons have a real one, it’s just a matter of how good he can be.