Detroit Pistons: Did the league figure out Jerami Grant?

The Detroit Pistons have gotten off to a rough start and that includes team leader Jerami Grant, who has not looked like himself so far this season.

Grant had a breakout season for the Pistons last year, averaging 22.3 points and finishing second in the Most Improved Player award voting.

So far this season things have not been the same, as Grant has not looked comfortable, and like most of his teammates, can’t hit a shot.

The Detroit Pistons have shot the ball terribly as a team so far, and that is putting it mildly, and that includes Grant, who is off to one of the worst starts of his career.

Is he injured? Did the burden of carrying a woeful offense take its toll? Has the league simply figured Jerami Grant out?

Detroit Pistons: It’s way too early to panic about Jerami Grant

Grant did suffer an injury early this season that kept him out for a game, so it is possible that his slow start is the result of not being 100 percent healthy.

Also, when your entire team is struggling offensively, the pressure starts to mount on the guy who is meant to be the team’s leading scorer, especially while Cade Cunningham is out.

So far this season Grant has not been that guy, as he is averaging 16 points per game on god-awful shooting splits. He is hitting just 35 percent of his shots overall and just 25 percent from the 3-point line.

Grant seems to be running into defenders more in the paint this season, making bad choices, and this is reflected in his turnover numbers, which are the worst of his career.

Grant has forced some things and teams know that stopping him is the primary goal when playing the Detroit Pistons, so the combination of injury, a bad team offense and the league knowing more about him have all contributed to his slow start.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, as Grant is averaging the most rebounds of his career, something coach Casey challenged him to do during the offseason.

I think Casey needs to take some of the pressure off Jerami Grant by running more plays for Saddiq Bey, who is really the only Piston who has done anything on offense so far. Grant will also be helped by the full-time return of Cunningham, who will take some of the playmaking off his shoulders.

It’s not the start that Jerami Grant and the Detroit Pistons wanted but as the rest of his teammates start to make shots, some of the pressure will be lifted and hopefully Grant will find his shot and get back to scoring 20+ points per game.