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OKC Thunder: Jerami Grants don’t grow on trees

By Reid Belew

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 13: Jerami Grant #9 of the OKC Thunder handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 13, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 13: Jerami Grant #9 of the OKC Thunder handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 13, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jerami Grant, OKC Thunder (Photo by Torrey Purvey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Grant in rarefied company:

If we use Jerami Grant’s Per36 numbers from last year (to simulate player stats if they were starting), we’re looking at a player who would average 14.9 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.

Here is the complete list of players who met or surpassed that benchmark last season:

End of list.

Here are their numbers compared, with their respective Per36 data to the side. Embiid averaged around 30 minutes a game last year, so his Per36 averages actually increase.

Shooting:

Query Results Table
Crit Crit Crit Crit Tota Shoo Shoo Shoo Shoo Shoo Shoo
Rk Player Age Tm PTS BLK TRB WS GS FG% 2P% 3P% eFG% FT% TS%
1 Anthony Davis 24 NOP 28.1 2.6 11.1 13.7 75 .534 .558 .340 .552 .828 .612
2 Joel Embiid 23 PHI 22.9 1.8 11.0 6.2 63 .483 .527 .308 .514 .769 .573

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/11/2018.

Per 36:

Query Results Table
Tota Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per
Rk Player Age GS MP FG FGA 2P 2PA 3P 3PA FT FTA ORB DRB AST STL TOV PF
1 Anthony Davis 24 75 36.4 10.4 19.5 9.7 17.3 0.7 2.2 6.6 8.0 2.5 8.6 2.3 1.5 2.2 2.1
2 Joel Embiid 23 63 30.3 8.1 16.8 7.0 13.4 1.0 3.4 5.7 7.4 2.3 8.7 3.2 0.6 3.7 3.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/11/2018.

Davis and Embiid are far superior talents than Grant, make no mistake. I am not placing Grant into their stratosphere. Grant could never be the focal point of an offense or be a star. He will never make an All-Star team or be in the MVP discussion.

Grant succeeds in a different way than Davis and Embiid:

Where those players are effective because of brilliant, polished domination, Grant succeeds by picking his spot, staying in his lane, and playing within his means. He is a player who has seen his boundaries and has learned how to best operate within them.

But this comparison illustrates Grant’s value: a player who can rebound, defend, and score at equally above-average rates, without stepping outside of his abilities. Those players are hard to find. And it explains why Oklahoma City gave him $27 million when they were already in the luxury tax. Their reason is simple:

Jerami Grants don’t grow on trees.

Let’s take a look at his defense.

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