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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jerami Grant has a huge opportunity ahead of him, likely heading into the 2018-19 season as a starter at the power forward spot after Carmelo Anthony's departure.
To stick there for the duration of the season, he'll need to make certain adjustments to his game, allowing him to be more than a high-motor presence on the floor.
Article Continues Below“I’m really focused on my shooting,” Grant told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “That’s probably the part of my game that I’m focusing on the most. Also, I’ve been trying to improve my balance – staying balanced when I’m getting to the basket. Mainly, I want to be able to create [shots] for myself a little bit more. Those things are my main focus this summer.”
Grant is putting himself through a tough offseason regimen, knowing the toll that it will take to go from the 20 minutes he averaged per game the last two seasons to logging near 30 minutes a night as a starter.
“My workout regimen has been really intense because I know that this upcoming year is a big one for me,” said Grant. “I’m working out pretty much the whole day. I wake up to work out at 6 a.m. and then, depending on the day, I’ll go through another workout at either noon or 1 p.m. Then, I also get in a night workout around 6:30 p.m. That’s been my schedule for pretty much the whole summer. It’s been pretty intense.”
Grant showed the ability to shoot the ball from deep in his first season with OKC in 2016-17, connecting on 37.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. The Thunder would likely have the best of both worlds, retaining his strong defense and shot-blocking, while giving them a Patrick Patterson-like ability to stretch the floor from the four-spot.
