Things have not started well for the Detroit Pistons. They are 0-4 to start the NBA season and are the last remaining team in the league without a victory. Most of their games have not even been competitive, as the Pistons have an average point differential of -11.8.
They have had a solid defense thus far, being ranked No. 13 in defensive rating according to Basketball-Reference. But, their offense has been downright putrid. They are dead last in offensive rating with a ghastly 93.6.
You are not going to win many games when you cannot put the ball in the basket. One of the bigger surprises thus far this season for them has been the play of Jerami Grant.
Grant came over to the Pistons from the Denver Nuggets as a free agent last offseason. He was looking for an opportunity to spread his wings and take on a bigger role and Detroit provided him that. The results were positive, as Grant showed he was more than capable of being a go-to player on offense.
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This season, he has not yet been able to replicate the same success. He is averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game. Not bad stats, but his efficiency leaves a lot to be desired as he has a shooting split of .340/.308/.786.
There were some discussions during the offseason about whether or not the Pistons would cash in on Grant and trade him. Numerous teams checked in, including the Boston Celtics, who reportedly offered multiple late first-round picks for him.
Should the Detroit Pistons consider making a deal involving him now? The answer is no. He would still get a good haul in return as last season’s work outweighs four games to start a new season, but he is worth more to the Pistons than future draft picks.
He loves the organization and the organization loves him. Those are not players you willingly give away. At 27-years old, he still has plenty of good basketball ahead of him.
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Detroit has also not had Cade Cunningham on the court yet. He is recovering from an ankle injury and the team is not sure when he will return. Alas, nothing should be done to the roster until they see how things look with the No. 1 pick from the 2021 NBA Draft in the mix.
Being a rookie is hard enough, so having a player like Jerami Grant to help bring them along will make the transition easier. Trading him was a long shot during the offseason despite the rumors and the same should hold true for now in the regular season.
