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Ranking the top 50 NBA players of the 2021-2022 season: 40-31

By Corey Rausch

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 10: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 10, 2021 in New York City. The Thunder defeated the Nets 120-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 10: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 10, 2021 in New York City. The Thunder defeated the Nets 120-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Pistons
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Top 50 NBA players: 39. Jerami Grant

Previous Rank: NA

Another major leaper from a season ago, Jerami Grant was considered one of the more mystifying free agency choices from a season ago. Fans were confused what the Detroit Pistons saw in him that seemingly the rest of the league did not see. After a borderline All-Star season, the vision is much clearer.

Grant decided to bet on himself, knowing that he could provide more than he had in stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. In his first season as a primary option Grant averaged 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. More importantly, he (along with head coach Dwane Casey and new General Manager Troy Weaver) reset the culture for a franchise in desperate need of that.

The path forward for Grant and the Pistons is not a simple one. They are likely to still be among the worst teams in the league this year. Grant’s counting stats are likely to dip with the incorporation number one overall pick Cade Cunningham. But he has helped change the feel around the team in a tangible way. When combining a change of culture with the stat line of a star, Grant’s place on this list was a certainty.