2019 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Jerian Grant

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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 24: Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons on March 24, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What To Look For

In college, Jerian Grant’s size stood out more than anything else. At 6-foot-4, Grant was a bigger point guard than most would see at that level and he had good quickness and strength to get to the rim. He was a stud at that level, finishing his senior year averaging 16.5 points and 6.7 assists per game. He averaged 19.0 points per game the year before.

Grant was a solid athlete who could get up above the rim — do not let that missed dunk fool you from Monday’s preseason loss to the Philadelphia 76ers — and crafty enough to finish at the basket. He could manage a game and pass it with relative efficiency.

Grant was the engine driving a bit of a renaissance with the Notre Dame program that saw the team reach the Elite Eight in his senior year. They nearly upended a stacked Kentucky Wildcats team that featured Karl-Anthony Towns.

Of course, athleticism can get a player pretty far in college. But in the NBA everyone is athletic. Grant still needed to develop some elite skills to make it. And that is the part that did not quite happen in college — where he was a below-average shooter — and has not happened in the NBA.

Grant for his career is shooting 31.4 percent from beyond the arc. Last year, when he had his first major minutes in a NBA uniform, Grant shot just 32.6 percent from the floor. That lack of efficiency — he has never hit better than a 50 percent effective field goal percentage — has held back much of his career.

He undoubtedly still needs to work on his jumper. But where Grant is best is at getting to the rim. Last year, Grant took 117 of his 503 field goal attempts within five feet of the rim, the most of any five-foot range. He made 59.8 percent of those attempts.

That is what he was good at throughout his collegiate career. He can get to the basket and work his way around the rim. Developing a pull-up jumper and a consistent spot-up 3-point shot could turn him into a valuable bench player.

But the other parts of his game have to round into form too. He is becoming a better passer and floor leader at the NBA level, taking advantage of the opportunity last year to average 4.6 assists per game.

It is still a bit unformed with Grant. He is still someone putting all the pieces together as he fights for more playing time.