Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons was placed in health and safety protocol yesterday, which may be a sign that his return is imminent.
His thumb is no longer listed on the injury report, which is hopefully a good sign that he’ll be ready to return as soon as he is cleared.
The Grant trade rumors have been swirling, and it is possible that he has already played his final game for Detroit, who is reportedly getting calls from half the league about trading for the versatile two-way forward.
But let’s assume for a minute that Jerami Grant isn’t traded (at least not right away) and instead the Pistons keep him around to either sign him long term or wait until the offseason to make move after they see what happens in the draft and free agency.
Detroit has been up and down without him, but guys like Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo have ascended in his absence and the Pistons are scoring more points, playing at a faster pace, tallying more assists and winning at a higher clip.
There are myriad reasons for this, including the more-consistent play of Cade Cunningham, better contribution from veterans Trey Lyles and Cory Joseph and the aforementioned Bey and Diallo.
In order not to disrupt the good things that have happened in his absence and to show that he is a good fit with the young core, Jerami Grant is going to need to make some adjustments to his game.
Jerami Grant will need to play some small forward for the Detroit Pistons
One thing has become clear in Jerami Grant’s absence: Saddiq Bey is better suited to play power forward.
Bey is not quick enough to stay in front of some of the NBA’s swifter wings but has the strength and size to keep from getting pushed around by power forwards. His shooting and ability to put the ball on the floor are also more effective when he is going against bigger guys, so Grant needs to adjust.
The two will both be playing forward and in today’s position-less basketball it doesn’t really matter what you want to call them but Bey has thrived as the power forward and there is no reason to disrupt that when Grant might be better suited at the small forward anyway.
Jerami Grant needs less usage for the Pistons
For most of the last two seasons, Jerami Grant has been the primary scoring option for the Detroit Pistons, but those days need to be over.
Grant leads the team in usage rate this season at 26.8 percent, just ahead of rookie Cade Cunningham (25.7) who is the point guard and supposed to be initiating the offense.
With Grant out, more guys have been involved in the offense and Cade has taken over as the guy who is taking the clutch shots and getting his own shot in isolation.
Grant can be very good in isolation at times too, but the biggest difference is that Cunningham will often draw defenders and set up teammates, while Grant tends to put his head down and do what it takes to get to the rim, drawing a lot of fouls in the process.
This is important too, as the Pistons need to get as many easy buckets at the line as they can given their shooting problems, but if Grant is going to be part of this core long term, then he has to become more of a second option behind Cade.
And why not? Cade Cunningham has shown that he is a gifted passer who can make life easier for his teammates.
I know Jerami Grant didn’t come to Detroit to be a 4th banana again, and he doesn’t need to be, but he has to show he is willing to hand over control of the offense to the rookie because that is who the Pistons are building around.
Jerami Grant has to keep the ball moving for the Pistons
We all know that Grant can be a ball stopper at times, and Detroit has played at a faster pace and has a higher assist rate since he went out with his injured thumb.
Their offense is still not great, but they’ve been scoring more without him and the ball movement has been noticeably better.
There is far less one-on-one isolation play, and when there is, Cade Cunningham is the one doing it, something he has been very good at in college and in his young career.
Cunningham’s effective field goal percentage on isolation plays is 10 points higher than Grant’s and Bey’s is 11 points higher. Detroit has two guys who are better in isolation than Grant, though Jerami is much better at getting to the line in these situations, which somewhat offsets it.
Grant can’t be a ball stopper and ruin what Detroit is building, as he is not a great isolation player and the offense has been less stagnant and predictable without him.
If Grant can make these adjustments, he will be a great long-term fit with the Pistons, as he is a hard-working player, very good defender and a guy who wants to be in Detroit, but if he can’t, I fear his time in the Motor City will come to an end before the trade deadline.