Detroit Pistons: Blake Griffin and 5 other surprising players so far

6. Jerami Grant

Jerami Grant is not only the biggest surprise for the Detroit Pistons. He might be the most surprising leap of any player in the league. Grant chose to bet on himself and so far this season he has hit the jackpot, much to the benefit of his new team.

First, let’s look at the stat line. Grant is averaging 25.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. Outside of a year where he averaged 1.6 blocks per game those are all career highs by a decent margin. As his usage rate has gone up (18.0 to 26.5) his efficiency has actually increased. He is boasting an increased true shooting percentage and is attempting 10 more field goals per game and 3.3 more 3-pointers.

He is a revelation and it is more than his scoring. He has locked in on defense (one of the few on the team) and disrupts so many shots. He is one of the more effective rebounders on the team even as he has been forced out of his natural position. Grant is a leader and is growing into the face of the franchise role Weaver told him he could be.

Even the many Pistons fans who were excited about the signing could not have expected this. Grant is on a career-high 13 game streak of 20 or more points, including three times topping 30. It will be tough for him to get the All-Star recognition he deserves. Bradley Beal was one of the best scorers in the league last season and could not get in. But for Grant that does not matter. He has helped change the future of his new team already.