3 takeaways from OKC Thunder bounce back win over the Los Angeles Clippers
Jerami Grant is legit
After signing a three-year, $27-million dollar deal this off-season, many believed it was an overpay for 25-year old Grant.
How wrong they were.
Since his arrival to OKC, the young big man has transformed his game from a one-dimensional athletic wing into a two-way big man in the space of three seasons. After beginning the season behind Patrick Patterson, Grant has left 2-Pat in his dust and stolen the starting power forward spot from underneath him.
Grant was extremely impressive in yesterday’s win. The 25 year-old brought energy, effort and hustle blocking shots and deflecting entry passes when the Clips tried to go inside. The 25 year-old’s active hands, athletic ability, and intelligent help defensive rotations forced the LA into tough shots all night long.
Then he showed us his much improved offensive game.
Jump hook, post-ups, fade-away buckets, 3-pointers, drives to the hoop, dunks – Grant can now do it all. Aside from his impressive shot-making, his most impressive make came at 4:36 mark in the first quarter.
Oklahoma City cleared space for Grant to go one on one with Clippers forward Tobias Harris. After initially facing the big man up, the 25 year-old backed him down and finished a tough fall-away shot following a Harris shove.
The biggest improvement however, comes from beyond the arc.
As it stands, Grant is the teams second most efficient 3-point shooter converting at a 37.1 percent success rate. One big concern surrounding the young big was his inability to spread the floor due to an inconsistent perimeter shot. Through 28 games, Grant has seemingly found the range and should he continue to shoot at this rate will prove to be a huge plus for the Thunder when the playoffs arrive.
The evolution of his game is quite remarkable given he couldn’t put the ball on the floor without losing it when he first arrived. Fast forward three years and Grant is now one of the leagues budding two-way players.
OKC deserves credit for development
Oklahoma City deserves a tonne of credit for forming a strong front court with complimentary skill sets. Two night removed from Steven Adams 26-point night where he dominated Nikola Jokic with a bevy of post moves, Grant’s mix of athleticism, mid-range jumper and reliable perimeter shot opens the paint for Adams as well. While Russ and PG13 benefit from Grant’s ability to now hit open three’s, the Big Kiwi is given space to operate down low.
Billy Donovan also needs to be commended with converting Grant from a wing to a big. With “space and pace” the aim of today’s game, the 25 year-old has found a terrific balance between attacking the paint and perimeter scoring. Grant is the ideal four in today’s game and his play has earned him a number of fans around the league.