Will the Detroit Pistons be better off without Jerami Grant?

Detroit Pistons: Numbers with and without Grant

Detroit had a better record last season without Grant, but we need to look at more than just team record. A deeper dive into the numbers shows that the Pistons could get better in some areas without Grant, but may also be worse in others.

The offense

The Pistons had a 108.5 offensive rating last season without Jerami Grant and a 105.6 rating with him.

This led to 107.4 points per game without Grant in the lineup and 102.9 points per game with him in there. The eye test supports this, as the offense just looked more dynamic and flowed a lot better when Grant wasn’t in there. His absence allowed Cade Cunningham to be the primary creator and there were fewer isolation plays that led to tough shots.

The overall field goal percentage was better without Grant (43.9%) than with him (42.5%), as was the 3-point percentage that was 33.3 percent with and 32.1 percent without.

I think it’s safe to say that Detroit was better offensively without Grant.

The defense

The Pistons had a 116.3 defensive rating without Jerami Grant last season, which is pretty bad. The defense rating dropped to 113.6 with Grant, so he clearly made an impact on that side of the ball.

Aside from numbers, Grant is a long defender who can block shots and guard several different positions, which you can’t say for any of the guys the Pistons added.

I think it’s safe to say that the defense was better with Grant and that the Pistons could potentially take step back defensively without him.

Cade Cunningham

Cunningham’s numbers were nearly identical with or without Grant, though he did average more assists and slightly more points with him out of the lineup.

I think you could make an argument either way, as Detroit has a chance to be better offensively without Grant but could take a dip on the defensive end. Will this lead to more wins next season? That is yet to be seen, but it’s not as clear-cut either way as some fans might think and we’ll have to wait and see how the new parts fit before fully understanding Jerami Grant’s impact.