Reasonable Expectations for Jerami Grant

[rrlbees]

I expect Grant to lead the team in rebounding.

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[anomander]

I have huge expectations next season for Jerami. I mean All-ACC huge. First I want to say that we better enjoy him while we have him because if he has the year I am expecting him to next season it will be his last. At very worst he will be gone after his JR season.

The thing I like most about JG (and there is a lot) is his basketball IQ. I haven't seen an SU player with his basketball intellect in some time. For a freshman in a rather complex defense he was light years ahead of almost everyone in some time. He is great at anticipating passes, sliding in the zone, and then has the freakish athelticism to erase what looks to be easy lay ups. I feel his defense gets over looked a bit, and is his strong point.

That's not saying he isn't good offensively. I have said it a few times, but if you watch this kid warm up he DOES NOT miss from 17 feet. I mean he consistently knocks in 15-20 straight. He said after the one game this year where he knocked down a couple that he has all the confidence in the world in his shot, and I believe him. I just believe he is such a smart, and unselfish player, that he deferred to upper classmen a bit last season. That won't be the case this year. I can see him knocking down the 15 footer consistently along with an occasional 3. He is also an aggressive driver and will get to the foul line where he showed an improved ability to knocks down ft's towards the end of the season. Offensive rebounding should get him some easy baskets as well. I wouldn't be surprised if he averaged 12-13ppg, and is 2nd team All ACC

 

[CusefanATL]

It would be a major surprise in my book if Roberson beats out Grant on the depth chart this coming year. Do you think otherwise?

No, no I don't.

I asked the question tongue in cheek.

 

[orangefog]

What a set of forwards we have, for years to come. It is really incredible that year after year the cupboard is full of long, athletic and skilled forwards. And they just keep getting better.

 

[Orange2389]

I loved what I saw out of Grant when South was suspended. I remember in detail the game where we beat louisville and how smooth Grant looked. I expect him to get starter's minutes and be a force. CJ will be the star and I am ready to see him step in that role. Grant will be that smooth contributer that CJ has been for 3 years.

 

[edowd26]

Jeremi Grant's head stays above water so long as he's on his tippy toes at the Marianas trench.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

No, no I don't.

I asked the question tongue in cheek.

Sorry, missed that.

But like mentioned earlier it is not out of the realm of possibility. 'Bees has suggested it.

It is a great thing to see the move to highly ranked kids coming in to a situation where it looks like they are buying into the possibility of waiting a year before they get their significant playing time. Grant was top 50 and came in behind what seemed like it was going to be Rak, CJ, and Dirty in front. Now Roberson comes in with CJ and Grant in front. We've gotten big time recruits for a while now, but the uptick now is we are getting big time recruits who are willing to wait a year - nice.

 

[realorange]

I loved what I saw out of Grant when South was suspended. I remember in detail the game where we beat louisville and how smooth Grant looked. I expect him to get starter's minutes and be a force. CJ will be the star and I am ready to see him step in that role. Grant will be that smooth contributer that CJ has been for 3 years.

Jeramie will be the smooth, heady player CJ is, but with an attitude.

 

[orangefan13]

Defensively Hes even better then CJ fair because hes alittle taller and his one on one defensive reflexes are alittle more there then CJ's. And CJ is a defensive STUD he covers ground with the best ever at syracuse for a forward is scrappy at full speed and rebounds.

offensively though hes as raw as Rak, but he has more self ambition to score then freshmen sophmore rak who always wanted to dunk. Hope Rak can turn that around some. Offensive fundementals for Rak and Grant.
He has no iso game. A good thing being skinny would have worn him down alot faster in the BE then the acc I think.

Depends on how he comes along offensively. I think just having him and BJ out there with CJ you can't leave them open. This year are forwards are going to be trigger happy .

 

[IthacaMatt]

I like and agree with a lot of your post and applaud the analysis but I'm not sure I entirely agree with the baseline. A couple reasons why:

2) I'm not really sure that comparing his rebounds to Hak's makes all that much sense anyway, given that Grant, particularly if he develops the way we all expect, will be much more of a perimeter oriented player and shot-blocker. Oddly, Hak didn't really block many shots -- a fact that remains hard to believe. But, regardless, the 3 typically is going to rebound a bit less than the 4 and Grant is very much more in the 3 mold, IMO.

So, again, I generally agree with your assessment but I'd probably temper my expectations a bit from yours.

There is no distinction between the 3 and the 4 in our zone defense. One forward is on the strong side (ball side), and the other is on the weak side. The weak side forward is the one who has the best chance of getting a rebound - 2/3 of all shots that miss go long to the other side of the rim.

So, putting the "better rebounding" forward at the 4 is kind of a myth in our system - it's a function of which side of the floor the other team usually starts their offense from.

So to say " the 3 typically is going to rebound a bit less than the 4" doesn't make any sense for Syracuse, and applies much more to a team that plays man-to-man defense.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I have huge expectations next season for Jerami. I mean All-ACC huge. First I want to say that we better enjoy him while we have him because if he has the year I am expecting him to next season it will be his last. At very worst he will be gone after his JR season.
I wouldn't be surprised if he averaged 12-13 ppg, and is 2nd team All ACC

I see Jerami giving us about 10-11 points and 6 rebounds a game. If we get that from him I'll be very happy.

Calling him an ACC player of the year candidate, or even all ACC, if we're talking about next year, is pushing it a bit. He's got the skills and a fine motor. He mixes it up inside for a spindly guy and gets his share of rebounds.

But he's still young and youth means inconsistency. The year after that, his junior year, I think he'll still be here, and I think he and McCullough will be perhaps the best forward combo in the game, certainly the best we've had since Melo & Hakim, or Billy Owens and Dave Johnson.

 

[billsin01]

There is no distinction between the 3 and the 4 in our zone defense. One forward is on the strong side (ball side), and the other is on the weak side. The weak side forward is the one who has the best chance of getting a rebound - 2/3 of all shots that miss go long to the other side of the rim.

So, putting the "better rebounding" forward at the 4 is kind of a myth in our system - it's a function of which side of the floor the other team usually starts their offense from.

So to say " the 3 typically is going to rebound a bit less than the 4" doesn't make any sense for Syracuse, and applies much more to a team that plays man-to-man defense.

There's logic here. I suppose my intended point was to be that I think Grant profiles as more of a 3 than a 4 and that will likely impact how good a rebounder he is and how much of a focus it is for him. A 3 is going to spend much more time on the perimeter offensively and, depending on how the team plays, may leak out a little more often and get involved in transition a bit more defensively. There are exceptions but -- Melo, obviously -- but I think generally a 3 in this system has a bit less focus on rebounding than a 4.

 

[kirbivore]

The real question is-What are Igor's expectations?

He can't be bothered by this. He's combing the roster looking for the 10th - 11th man to hype up so he can later play the "Boehiemed" card when that kid doesn't play.

 

[anomander]

I see Jerami giving us about 10-11 points and 6 rebounds a game. If we get that from him I'll be very happy.

Calling him an ACC player of the year candidate, or even all ACC, if we're talking about next year, is pushing it a bit. He's got the skills and a fine motor. He mixes it up inside for a spindly guy and gets his share of rebounds.

But he's still young and youth means inconsistency. The year after that, his junior year, I think he'll still be here, and I think he and McCullough will be perhaps the best forward combo in the game, certainly the best we've had since Melo & Hakim, or Billy Owens and Dave Johnson.

just as good of a chance that he will be in the nba draft this time next year.

i didn't say ACC POY, I said 2nd team All ACC?

 

[IthacaMatt]

just as good of a chance that he will be in the nba draft this time next year.

i didn't say ACC POY, I said 2nd team All ACC?

If that happens, hats off to you for calling it. We will have had a very good year.

 

[anomander]

If that happens, hats off to you for calling it. We will have had a very good year.

Nbadraft.net currently has him going 16th in their 2014 mock draft. I don't really think I am going out on a limb too far but I do agree if he plays well enough to leave we will indeed have a good year.

 

[Niastri]

I believe Tomcat said that Jerami could be ACC player of the year one day, not next year. Next year that could very well be CJ. The following year Jerami??

Fair would have to be head and shoulders the best player in the league to be ACC player of the year in Syracuse's first year there. The anti Yankee bias will be alive and well for at least a decade... I expect the awards will reflect that bias quite well.