OKC Thunder: Jerami Grants don't grow on trees

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Jerami Grant, OKC Thunder, (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Offense:

Grant is not a shot creator. He cannot consistently create space for himself, nor will he craftily dishevel his defender.

Grant’s points primarily come at the rim via dunks, lobs, and layups off cuts.

Take a look at where the major percentage of Grant’s field goal attempts come from.

Shot distance:

Shooting Table

				% of	% of	% of	% of	% of	% of	FG%	FG%	FG%	FG%	FG%	FG%
Season	Tm	FG%	Dist.	2P	0-3	3-10	10-16	16 <3	3P	2P	0-3	3-10	10-16	16 <3	3P
2014-15	PHI	.352	14.0	.557	.321	.128	.040	.068	.443	.383	.540	.111	.214	.250	.314
2015-16	PHI	.419	8.4	.756	.491	.184	.047	.035	.244	.477	.619	.209	.179	.286	.240
2016-17	TOT	.463	12.0	.646	.375	.131	.049	.091	.354	.514	.642	.395	.250	.300	.371
2016-17	PHI	.353	11.5	.882	.294	.176	.059	.353	.118	.400	.600	.333	.000	.333	.000
2016-17	OKC	.469	12.1	.633	.379	.129	.048	.077	.367	.523	.644	.400	.267	.292	.377
2017-18	OKC	.535	7.8	.759	.586	.121	.022	.031	.241	.613	.685	.327	.500	.429	.291
Career		.444	10.1	.696	.459	.146	.039	.051	.304	.507	.634	.249	.250	.303	.301

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/12/2018.

Shots types:

Shooting Table
							2-Pt	2-Pt	2-Pt	3-Pt	3-Pt	3-Pt	3-Pt	3-Pt
								Dunk	Dunk		Corn	Corn	Heav	Heav
Season	Age	Tm	G	MP	FG%	Dist.	%Ast’d	%FGA	Md.	%Ast’d	%3PA	3P%	Att.	Md.
2014-15	20	PHI	65	1377	.352	14.0	.613	.082	27	.980	.276	.372	0	0
2015-16	21	PHI	77	2066	.419	8.4	.685	.137	73	1.000	.500	.288	0	0
2016-17	22	TOT	80	1531	.463	12.0	.651	.149	47	.977	.552	.438	0	0
2016-17	22	PHI	2	41	.353	11.5	1.000	.059	1		.500	.000	0	0
2016-17	22	OKC	78	1490	.469	12.1	.631	.154	46	.977	.553	.444	0	0
2017-18	23	OKC	81	1647	.535	7.8	.731	.184	70	.938	.500	.273	2	0
Career			303	6621	.444	10.1	.686	.141	217	.975	.445	.340	2	0

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/12/2018.

Examining the shots:

Last year for OKC, 58.6 percent of Grant’s shots were within 3 feet, which is essentially at the rim. Another 12.1 percent were within 10 feet. That’s 70.7 percent of his shots within 10 feet of the rim. Almost all of his other shots are from 3-point range. Grant plays an extremely efficient brand of offense.

What’s even more surprising is that 54.9 percent come after zero dribbles. That’s a lot of work around the rim.

The man knows how to pick his shots.

The benefit of having a player who picks his spots is that the offense can produce more points in fewer possessions. That’s what Grant brings to the table.

He won’t take ill-advised midrange pull-ups, dribble the ball until there are 2 seconds left then heave it, or try to score in flashy ways. Grant can be trusted to make the right choice, and when you make the right choices, you have fewer mistakes. Sometimes, Grant gets his points from sheer force.

It’s rare to find a player of his athletic caliber who also uses their instinct, feel, and game savvy to subsidize their natural talents.

He is the quintessential “glue guy.”

Film Evidence:

Watch how well Grant puts himself in the right spot and does the necessary work to get the smart shot–not the easiest shot, the smartest shot. That usually means Grant works a bit harder to get a shot closer to the rim away from defenders: