The NBA Draft is a little more than a month away, and Syracuse has two players that will definitely get drafted (Tyler Ennis, Jerami Grant) with a possibility for a third (CJ Fair). Today, we take a look at Grant, a freakish athlete with an outstanding basketball pedigree. Grant wowed Syracuse fans with insanely entertaining dunks in his two years on The Hill, and now he will take those talents to the NBA.
Here is The Juice Online’s scouting report on Grant:
Strengths: Oozes athleticism… Highlight reel dunker… Plenty of length with 7’2 3/4 wingspan and 8’11” standing reach… Explodes off the floor… Good rebounding instincts allowed him to lead Syracuse in rebounding his sophomore year… Excellent help side defender… Capable shot blocker… Runs like a gazelle on the floor… Dynamic first step allows him to blow by defenders… Graceful finisher around the rim when needed… NBA pedigree includes father Harvey and uncle Horace.
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Weaknesses: Lacks a true NBA position… Jump shot is still raw and needs plenty of polish for a small forward… Lacks strength to compete inside as a power forward… Mediocre free throw shooter… Relies too heavily on his spin move when driving… Still hasn’t developed a left-handed dribble… As with all Syracuse players, difficult to tell how he will transition from zone to man-to-man… Offensive game repertoire is limited with no low-post moves.
NBA Comparison: Thaddeus Young. Like Grant, Young is 6’8″, a slight 220 lbs (Grant is the same height and listed at 214 lbs) and lacks a consistent outside jumper of a prototypical NBA small forward. But while Young may fall into the dreaded ‘tweener category, he has made up for his deficiencies with his athletic acumen. Young is also one of the most prolific finishers around the basket.
Vitals:
- Birthdate: March 12, 1994
- Hometown: Hyattsville, MD
- Position: Forward
- School: Syracuse ’16
- Height, 6’8″
- Weight, 214 lbs
Projections:
- NBADraft.net: 1st round, 16th pick (Chicago Bulls)
- Draftexpress.com: 1st round, 25th pick (Houston Rockets)
- CBS Sports: 1st round, 27th pick (Phoenix Suns)
College Highlights: Grant was named an All-ACC Honorable Mention after averaging 12.1 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds per game. He was also named to the Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 5 asts. His putback dunk against California was voted the Must See Moment in 2013 in the fan poll by the ACC Digital Network. Grant notched a career-high 24 points and added 12 rebounds while going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line in a thrilling 91-89 win over Duke on Feb. 1.
Overall: We all know that Grant is an athletic specimen. There are some in the NBA who have turned that athleticism into stardom (Shawn Marion) and those who have fallen by the wayside (Anthony Randolph). Where Grant falls in that spectrum will depend largely on how quickly his offensive game matures. Still, Grant will likely have to spend time at the end of an NBA bench or in the D-League for a year or two before he’s given a chance to show what he can do.
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