Since the start of the season, and for his first steps in Portland, Jerami Grant is evolving at its best level with 20.7 points on average at 50% success and 46% at 3-pts. His points and versatility are good for the Blazers.
What to rejoice Damian Lillard and comfort him in his past desire to recruit the winger. A desire that was born in 2021, when the two men found themselves under the colors of Team USA.
During the preparation for the Tokyo Olympics and then during the competition, they grow closer, in the team bus and in the restaurant, and a strong relationship emerges. To the point of imagining playing together in the NBA?
“I don’t know if I can say it, but yes, we talked a lot on the bus, before the matches, during training,” confirms Jerami Grant at The Athletic. “We got to know each other. We talked about that, about what it could give and it became what it has become. »
Back from Tokyo with a gold medal around his neck, Damian Lillard informs his GM, Neil Olshey. The All-Star point guard wants the Pistons winger by his side in Oregon. “He was the perfect position 4 for us”remembers thinking “Lady”. “He could take us to a level. »
“He brings so much to our team, he does so many things”
The former Thunder or Nuugets agrees to join Portland, and the leader therefore gets to work, according to our colleagues. Finally, as Jerami Grant did not claim his departure during the summer and he wanted to afford a second season in Michigan, the transfer is not made. It will be for the 2022 off-season.
“I knew we would get it eventually,” comments Damian Lillard. “During that time, I probably talked to Grant more than any other player. No, not probably, that’s for sure. Not only to recruit him, but also to interact with him more and more. I knew he wanted it, he knew I wanted it too. I never had any doubt: it would eventually happen. »
The Blazers needed a breath of fresh air after a failed season (27 wins) in 2021/2022 and with the departure of CJ McCollum. At the same time, Jerami Grant wanted to get back on track after two seasons in Detroit of stacking the stats without winning. Marriage of love therefore and of reason too.
“There are few players like him in the NBA,” concludes and notes Damian Lillard. “He brings so much to our team, he does so many things. He could ask for more, like guys who want to be All-Star, want big contracts etc. He comes to work and he is himself. People like that about him. »
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Damian Lillard | 8 | 35.4 | 46.8 | 39.7 | 86.8 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 28.6 |
| Anfernee Simons | 11 | 36.1 | 42.1 | 36.5 | 84.6 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 22.3 |
| Jerami Grant | 12 | 35.6 | 49.7 | 46.0 | 76.4 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 20.7 |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 10 | 29.5 | 49.5 | 54.5 | 87.5 | 3.1 | 8.1 | 11.2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 13.0 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 12 | 20.8 | 51.8 | 44.4 | 72.7 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 9.0 |
| Josh Hart | 13 | 36.3 | 41.2 | 30.4 | 68.3 | 1.7 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 8.8 |
| Justise Winslow | 11 | 26.7 | 39.3 | 25.0 | 66.7 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 7.9 |
| Keon Johnson | 6 | 17.7 | 35.6 | 34.8 | 33.3 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 7.0 |
| Nassir Little | 13 | 15.3 | 54.1 | 46.4 | 58.3 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 6.6 |
| Drew Eubanks | 13 | 17.5 | 69.0 | 0.0 | 68.4 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 5.5 |
| Trendon Watford | 5 | 18.4 | 45.0 | 0.0 | 87.5 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 5.0 |
| Jabari Walker | 8 | 9.0 | 52.9 | 20.0 | 66.7 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
| Greg Brown III | 4 | 5.5 | 71.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.5 |
| John Butler | 1 | 9.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
