Jerami Grant’s injury gives Detroit Pistons opportunity

The Detroit Pistons announced yesterday that Jerami Grant will miss the remainder of the season with a calf injury.

This is the second year in a row that the Pistons will finish the season without their scoring leader after a dubious injury that may be more about losing games than Grant’s health.

The Pistons are just a half a game ahead of both the Rockets and Magic for the worst record in the league, so now is not the worst time to shut Grant down in terms of their lottery odds.

But it does rob Detroit of the chance to see more of Grant with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey, which is a big loss because they have some difficult decisions to make this offseason, which will be the most important in years.

Do they keep Grant and make him the 3rd piece of a Big 3 with Cade and Saddiq? Do they trade him and try to nab another draft pick? It would have been nice for the Pistons to have these final games worth of film to break down when they are making these decisions.

However, Jerami Grant’s injury also gives the Detroit Pistons a chance to try some other combinations in a possible preview of next season.

Detroit Pistons: Jerami Grant’s injury and Marvin Bagley III

Marvin Bagley III has found new life in Detroit, first off the bench and now as part of the starting five.

Bagley III took over for Grant in the power forward spot against the Knicks and had his best game of the season, scoring 27 points and adding seven rebounds.

Detroit has a decision to make on Bagley III as well and so far he definitely looks like a guy they will try to re-sign depending on his contract demands.

With Grant out, we’ll get a solid dose of Bagley III with Isaiah Stewart, which is something the Pistons need to see, as MBIII is a possibility for the starting lineup next season if the Pistons trade Grant.

If MBII and Beef Stew show that they can play together, it might change how the Pistons approach the offseason and also their feelings about the future of Jerami Grant.

Detroit isn’t going to make these decisions based on a handful of games, but if MBIII shows he and Stewart can be a fit as an offense/defense big-man duo, it will definitely get the attention of the front office.

Bagley III has averaged 15 points on 55 percent shooting and seven rebounds per game for the Detroit Pistons so far, and if his production goes up as a starter, he could be an option for the future.

The Pistons still need more talent either way, but these last games will get them a chance to see one possible version of the future.