In maybe the most improbable gold medal in Team USA men’s basketball history, the United States defeated France by five on early Saturday morning in the gold medal game in Tokyo. So Jerami Grant comes away with a gold.
The Detroit Pistons’ Jerami Grant has now completed his time as an Olympian. He is the first Piston to get an Olympic medal since Tayshaun Prince in 2008.
Also winning gold on Team USA were Michigan natives JaVale McGee and Draymond Green as well as Khris Middleton, who spent his rookie season with the Pistons.
Now, Grant was not a main cog of the team like a Kevin Durant or Jayson Tatum. He did play in every game except when they faced France. But that is OK, because the experience is nothing but a positive for his future play with the Detroit Pistons.
Think about it.
If Grant did not come in to Team USA as a substitute for the injured James Harden (not too hurt to accompany Lil Baby to Paris, but that is another story), what would he have been doing for the past month. No summer league for a vet like him. Probably just hanging out at the Pistons Performance Center working on his game.
Instead, Grant was involved in intense practices with many of the top players in the NBA. Not just working out in Los Angeles with LeBron and some buddies, like many NBA players do. Real practices and real intensity.
And practicing and playing with really, really good players. Not counting the last-minute additions of McGee and Keldon Johnson, every player Grant worked with had made an All-Star game.
Grant, going into the gold medal game, was averaging only five minutes a game, so coach Gregg Popovich was not getting him much playing time. One could argue they could have used him as France was crushing USA inside, but that is another story.
Should have Grant played more throughout the games? Considering Popovich’s lineups had Jayton Tatum at times guarding power forwards and the 6-6 Green taking on opponent’s center most of the time, yeah, he certainly could have gotten some more time.
Grant particularly would have helped against French center Rudy Gobert, and it would have been interesting to see Grant matched with Evan Fournier. But, nothing you can do about it now (except name Jay Wright the new coach for next time IMO).
But Grant spent the past month in rarefied air. A lot of big names were sitting at home (Trae Young, Zion Williamson, Tobias Harris, Julius Randle) while Grant was on the Olympic team.
The biggest difference, besides the skill development gained, for Grant, is his standing in the NBA.
Before, Grant was just a nice story. The career role player who went to a bad team and turned into a major offensive weapon. He is now a guy whose played with Durant and Lillard on the USA Olympic team, earned a gold medal, and played on the biggest stage on the world.
Respect and reputation are important in the NBA with how teams are perceived. When you are coming off a 20-52, you are looking for a little respect.
Grant will now be seen differently when he returns from Tokyo, as will the Pistons.
Yes, Detroit has the No. 1 pick in the draft in Cade Cunningham, but he has yet to prove himself (many No. 1s have not in the past). Having someone who was on the Olympic team and won gold is a different story in terms how the rest of the league looks at you.
It shows the Detroit Pistons are now the home of players, not just guys who play.