Jerian Grant: Phoenix Suns 2015 Draft Profile
Strengths
Grant is slightly older than your typical swing-for-the-fences pick, but since the Suns have plenty of players on the roster who still fit that description, adding one of the more experienced players in the draft might not be a bad idea.
In his senior season with the Irish, Grant led Notre Dame to a 32-6 record, the ACC championship and the Elite Eight, where they were eliminated by the undefeated (to that point) Kentucky Wildcats by two points. He was one of the best players in all of college basketball, averaging 16.5 points, 6.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting nearly 48 percent from the field.
His experience in leading a team is a useful asset, but Grant brings a lot more to the table than that. He’s an athletic guard and his 6’4″ size makes him a tantalizing prospect for any team.
“I think Grant’s intriguing because he’s a combo guard, can play a little bit of the 1 and the 2, he had a very good career at Notre Dame, he shot the ball well,” general manager Ryan McDonough said. “He comes from a good pedigree, a good basketball family, his brother’s in the league for the 76ers and his brother and his uncle obviously played a long time ago.
“We value that, we like the way Notre Dame plays, we like their style and we think it’s kind of how we play.”
The Suns don’t run as many pick and roll sets as they have in years past, but that’s one area of Jerian Grant’s game that will definitely translate to the NBA level. The fact that he comes from a great basketball family also reinforces on-court intelligence that’s evident every time he steps on the floor.
Grant is the brother of Jerami Grant, who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is also the son of Harvey Grant, who also played in the NBA, and the nephew of Horace Grant, a four-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
With excellent leadership qualities, good size for his position and his potential to become a very good defender, Grant is one of the more well-rounded point guards available in this year’s draft.
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