The Unexpected Emergence Of Sixers' Rookie Jerami Grant

Guys who make their entrance into the NBA through the second round of the draft aren’t typically the ones who are placed under the glorified spotlight. The expectations that come with second round rookies isn’t seen in the same light as those of a Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker, but guys like the Philadelphia 76ers’ very own K.J. McDaniels prove why there can be always hidden value in the latter portion of the draft.

Well, after his recent upsurge in play, the same is now starting to be said of the 39^th pick in 2014 draft, Jerami Grant.

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After missing training camp and the first 15 games of the season due to an ankle injury, Grant has slowly but surely made his impact felt for the 76ers. Now this isn’t something that is so easily seen by simply looking at his season averages of 5.5 points and 2.7 boards per game, but January turned out to be a month that should keep Grant firmly in the Sixers’ rotation for the remainder of the season.

In his 14 games played in December, Grant was putting up only 3.8 points per outing, which wasn’t aided much by his horrid shooting numbers of .283 percent from the field and .214 percent from deep. But for Grant, the turning of the year made all the difference, as he’s now shooting .457 from the field and a remarkable .474 from beyond the arc. These increases have led to an additional jump in scoring at 7.2 per game in January, which has in turn led to his minutes increasing as well, with Grant seeing 21.9 per game last month; a 6.8 minutes per game increase from December.

This uptick in play has even led to a bit respect in the rookie standings, as seen with Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com including Grant in his most recent rookie ranking, in which he had this to say about the Sixers’ rookie:

"“In January, Grant is playing an average of 21.5 minutes per game, and putting up 6.8 points and three rebounds. That’s better than most rookies, plus his effect on the floor has been undeniable. The 76ers are five points better on offense when he plays, and 2.5 points better on defense.”"

Even more impressive has been the most recent eight-game stretch of Grant’s young career, in which he’s began to stand out on both sides of the ball, scoring in double figures four times and throwing a block party against Carmelo Anthony’s Knicks with an eight-rejection performance.

Of course, the numbers will never be able to tell the full story of how impactful Grant has become for the Sixers as of late. On offense, Grant is starting to find his confidence and playing with an attack-first attitude when he gets his hands on the rock. And as for his defensive impact, although he doesn’t get to fill up the stat sheet with eight blocks per game like he did against New York, his length and effort as a defender is often causing issues and making shots more unappealing than they would normally be for the opposition.

As you may know by now, the Sixers are continuing to be a goldmine for young prospective talent and we’re slowly seeing some of the more minimal benefits of tanking begin to pay off.

February is now upon us and only time will tell if another month will result in some further ascension for Grant, which is something the Sixers could desperately use as the season trudges on. But the key thing to focus on with Grant is the limited opportunity he’s had to this point, which leads me to believe we will start to see more of this guy on the hardwood in Philly, continuing to bring energy and defensive effort just as he did last month.

Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time

The Unexpected Emergence Of Sixers’ Rookie Jerami Grant

By Cody Daniel | Feb 2, 2015

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