NBA Game Reviews: January 8, 2021

1. Jerami Grant wasn’t a “one-bubble wonder,” and is turning his lucrative contract into a bargain

The Pistons had an interesting offseason. They started with three first round picks, but then it got weird. Detroit signed big men Mason Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor for a combined $10M/year, letting their 25-year-old budding star Christian Wood walk for just under $14 million a season. The Pistons also threw $60 million at Jerami Grant for the next three seasons, who came alive during the Nuggets’ playoff run in the bubble but hadn’t proved to be worth $20M/year besides that limited sample size. Grant is still just 26, but many questioned that kind of money for a guy averaging under 10 points and four rebounds in his career. 

Fortunately for the Pistons, they seemed to have gotten it right as Jerami Grant is having a career year in every way possible. He’s averaging career-highs in PTS (24.8), REB (6.4), and FT% (86.5%), while converting 46.8% FG and 36.3% 3PA. Grant has also scored a career-high 31 points in each of the Pistons’ last two games, a loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday and an upset victory in OT against the Suns on Friday. Grant put in eight of the team’s 17 points in the OT period, including the final six. 

The Pistons will likely not see much time beyond the bottom of the standings this season. Selling at the deadline seems inevitable, as players like Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin could become valuable pieces to a contender and could net promising young players and/or draft picks for a team that isn’t built to contend anytime soon. The Pistons have Grant locked up for three years, they’ve resurrected the career of 23-year-old Josh Jackson who’s locked up for two, and they could accumulate some serious draft assets at the deadline to add to their already young roster that Grant has taken over as the No.1 option for.

2. This young Hornets team is looking like the most entertaining non-contender

COLORS KEY | FULL HORNETS FUTURE OUTLOOK

The Hornets may be one of the most exciting teams in the league this year despite their minuscule chances of making the playoffs. Their offseason brought in the 19-year-old G LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 overall pick, and 2017 All-Star F Gordon Hayward via free agency. The backend of Hayward’s four-year, $128 million deal may turn into a headache for the Hornets, but at 30 years old, he should have a few more productive seasons left in the tank which is right in line with the Hornets progression. 

Hayward, Ball, and the Hornets extremely young roster including Devonte’ Graham (25), Miles Bridges (22), Terry Rozier (26), and PJ Washington (22) are already playing well this year, and should only improve over the next few years. Hayward is averaging over 22 points a game, Rozier has performances of 42 and 35 points this year, while LaMelo was one assist shy on Friday from becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double during the first matchup against his big brother in the NBA.

The Hornets aren’t winning the title this year. They do, however, have the pieces to contend for playoff basketball sometime soon, and in the meantime are an exciting team to watch with the special plays LaMelo, Rozier, and Graham make in the backcourt along with the above-the-rim tenacity of Miles Bridges. Even though they won’t win consistently this year, they have a real shot to beat their opponent on any given night, which could make them a tough out if they find a way to reach the new postseason play-in tournament. 

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