It’s tough to know what to expect from the Detroit Pistons next season, but Jerami Grant has set his sights on the playoffs.
Grant laid this out in a recent Discord Q&A in which someone asked him what he expected out of next season:
Jerami Grant in Discord: “Expectation (this year) is playoffs” pic.twitter.com/G73z3mRkUT
— Blake (@blakesilverman) September 17, 2021
Look, every player would say something similar, as no one is going to say, “yeah, my expectations are that we stink again next season and I waste another year of my prime.”
But is Jerami Grant right to have these lofty goals? I think you can make an argument either way (which I will) but one thing is not in doubt: Jerami Grant will improve.
Detroit Pistons: Jerami Grant is primed to be an All-Star
Jerami Grant blew up last season in an expanded role for the Detroit Pistons, going from the 4th option in Denver to the first in Detroit.
Grant carried the team for most of the season with a 28.5 percent usage rate that was by far the highest of his career.
He had career highs in just about everything so how is Jerami Grant going to build on that? He needs to stay healthy first and foremost, as the grind of carrying a young team clearly wore him down by the end of last season.
He also needs to be more efficient shooting the ball, which I think will come when guys like Cade Cunningham share more of the scoring load. If Grant can shoot closer to 40 percent from long range, he should make the All-Star team next season, as he as already proven himself to be one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA.
But what about his team goals? Can the Detroit Pistons really be expected to make the playoffs at this stage of their rebuild?