Philadelphia 76ers: Where Does Jerami Grant Fit?

As absurd as it may sound, the Philadelphia 76ers possess a full roster and then some for the 2015-16 season. Although the talent isn’t spectacular, it’s certainly more well rounded that what recent years have presented.

Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Tony Wroten and Robert Covington are expected to be the focal points for Philly, while Nik Stauskas, JaKarr Sampson, Kendall Marshall, Isaiah Canaan, Hollis Thompson and Furkan Aldemir all look to be in for considerable roles.

With the given that second year small forward Jerami Grant will have a roster spot, this leaves Carl Landry, Richaun Holmes, Christian Wood, Scottie Wilbekin, J.P. Tokoto, Jordan McRae, Pierre Jackson and T.J. McConnell competing for four roster spots, while only two of those will dress out each night with the NBA’s 13-player limit.

Although it’s miles away from being viewed as one of the NBA’s most competitive units, there will be no shortage of competition within the roster itself for court time. But where does Grant fit within this compact rotation entering his second season?

Despite an unpolished skill set, Grant’s versatility proved to be greatly beneficial for a depleted Sixers team stuck in a revolving door last season. With a lanky, athletic 6’8”, 210-pound build and a decent ball-handling touch, Grant was utilized by head coach Brett Brown as a multi-positional wing and forward, playing him at shooting guard and power forward in addition to his time at small forward. And as surprising as it may seem, Grant even played one percent of his 1,377 rookie minutes as a point guard.

But in year two with Philly, in which the Sixers roster now boasts a fair assortment of guard options, Grant’s minutes will likely be limited to opportunities as a versatile forward, playing both on the perimeter alongside guards and down low.

How he responds with these opportunities and how significant his offseason improvement proves to be will ultimately determine his involvement, but Grant’s positionless nature should call for a heightened role within a now more-competitive rotation in Philly.

As a rookie last season, glimpses of why Grant was once projected as a lottery pick were evident. With an ideal frame for a wing prospect at 6-8 and the two-way athleticism necessary to establish himself as a treacherous slasher and defensive presence, it’s not hard to envision Grant as a long-term piece on a Sixers unit searching for keepers.

But just as evident as Grant’s freakish athleticism is his ineptitude as a jump shooter, with the slight exception of a mediocre perimeter touch. Look no further than his field goal percentage by distance, per Basketball-Reference.com:

3-10 feet: .111%
10-16 feet: .214%
16 feet-3P: .250%
3P-extended: .314%

As a rookie, Grant played 32 percent of his minutes at shooting guard, but this was largely due to a sheer lack of quality options and consistent shooters. This will quite likely be far from the case this season. With the addition of Okafor, Philly’s need to stretch the floor outside becomes even more central to prevent paint congestion.

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For this to come to fruition, guys like Covington, Stauskas, Canaan and possibly Wilbekin will assume the majority of shooting guard minutes, and will be thrown together in a mixture of three guard lineups with Marshall, Wroten or Jackson at point guard.

This isn’t to suggest Grant’s opportunities on the wing will diminish to the point where his shooting touch, or lack thereof, becomes his downfall. But I believe it will ultimately taper towards Grant’s strengths, as he’ll continue to see a decent share of minutes at small forward, in addition to time as a backup power forward.

This has already proven to be the case in the preseason. In the five games in which Grant has seen action thus far, he’s started at power forward in three due to injuries to Noel and Okafor. With the increased responsibilities as what you could consider a “small ball” 4, Grant’s minutes and production have seen increases.

Jerami Grant Preseason Stats:

MPG: 25.6
PPG: 10.2
RPG: 5.0
BPG: 1.2

The repetitive issue arises when Grant’s field goal percentage comes into play, as he’s converted only 16 of 40 attempts in preseason, including 4-of-17 from deep.

There’s no denying his ability to attack the rim effectively off the wing and excel in transition, but the truth remains: Okafor and Noel are the focal points of what the Sixers are building and if Grant’s feeble shooting hinders the offense more than it benefits. With his prowess around the rim, that’s exactly what he’ll be limited to — opportunities around the rim.

Feb 27, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant (39) goes up for a shot against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers defeated the Wizards 89-81. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

With the currently layout of Philadelphia’s roster, this may be the best for Grant. The Sixers have an onslaught of capable perimeter options available, but the situation down low is quite the opposite. Outside of Okafor and Noel, the starters down low, Philly’s interior depth consists of Grant, Aldemir, Holmes and Landry (if Landry actually makes the final roster).

Aldemir’s liability as a scorer limits him exclusively to reserve minutes at center, and Holmes has all the tools to become a solid rotational post member, but will need to adjust to the NBA game before earning significant minutes in meaningful games.

But with Grant, Philly could insert a guy who’s athletic enough to defend multiple positions, can make posters out of young men around the rim, and step out and stretch the floor about as well as one can expect from a power forward.

Additionally, with the growing consensus in the NBA being that the “small ball” formula is the way to go, with guys like Paul George and Carmelo Anthony set to start seeing minutes down low, Grant’s defensive versatility would actually be the most effective for Philly, as Noel simply wouldn’t be quick enough to defend certain forwards.

If Grant can translate the flashes of potential he’s shown as a versatile combo forward into actual productivity, his insufficient shooting may result in an extended role down low. But if he fails to do so, the prospective product could find himself watching more than not while Brett Brown’s search for other rotational keepers surpasses him.

Next: NBA: Top 10 MVP Candidates In 2015-16

Philadelphia 76ers: Where Does Jerami Grant Fit In The Rotation?

By Cody Daniel | Oct 18, 2015

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