From junk contract to best sixth man contender, the Blazers forward has undergone a complete transformation

In the previous NBA regular season, the Portland Trail Blazers at home unexpectedly defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119. After this game, the Trail Blazers, who had won 4 of the last 5 games, improved their record to 5 wins and 3 losses, and their ranking rose to 6th in the Western Conference; while the Thunder, who ended their 8-game losing streak, saw their record drop to 8 wins and 1 loss, continuing to rank first in the Western Conference.

In this game, the performance of the Trail Blazers' substitute forward Jerami Grant was still quite stable. Grant played 33 minutes and 49 seconds, shooting 6 of 14, 2 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 6 of 6 free throws. He scored 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block. He also had 1 turnover and 5 fouls, with a plus-minus of +9. Grant also maintained a relatively stable touch on the offensive end, and he also scored a lot of points through various methods. Not only that, Grant's role in passing and supporting is also quite obvious, and he can also have a certain effect on the defensive end. Grant once again performed both offensively and defensively in this game, and the team's situation was quite good when he was on the court. The Blazers were able to defeat the defending champion without being favored by everyone, which was also closely related to Grant's outstanding performance.

In the NBA regular season last season, Grant played a total of 47 times in 82 games, averaging 32.4 minutes per game. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1 block per game. He also had 1.4 turnovers and 2.3 fouls. He shot 37.3% from the field, 36.5% from the three-point range, and 84.9% from the free throw line. In the previous preseason, Grant played a total of 4 times, averaging 23.6 minutes per game. He averaged 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He also had 1 turnover and 2.5 fouls. He shot 35.3% from the field, 25% from the three-point range, and 87.9% from the free throw line. Since the start of this season, Grant has averaged 29.3 minutes per game in the first 8 games, averaging 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He also has 1.8 turnovers and 3.3 fouls. He has shot 50% from the field, 42.2% from the three-point range, and 86% from the free throw line.

Grant has really undergone a radical change this season. He was the undisputed cancer figure of the team last season. His performance was a mess, he lacked basic enthusiasm on the court, and his effect on the court was also a mess. He is also considered to have one of the worst contracts in the league. As a result, everyone has seen that this season, he has transformed into the team's super sixth man. His role on both offense and defense is very obvious, and his outstanding performance has directly helped the Blazers achieve a huge improvement in record. If Grant continues to perform like this, he will not only be able to get rid of the title of garbage contract, but he will also become a strong contender for the best sixth man.