Scouting Report: Jerami Grant, SF, Syracuse

Jerami Grant flashed a lot of exciting tools in his two years at Syracuse, but dominating in the open court and in a zone-oriented defense aren't enough to make a productive NBA career a certainty. The numbers actually suggest there's little track record of players similar to Grant succeeding at the next level, and as such he probably could have used another year of seasoning to refine his game. In another draft, he does enough things well to be excited about, but his draft stock feels somewhat more tenuous than the other wings in his range.

Background

Scouting Report

Strengths: Grant plays in a way that makes him stand out when you watch the game, as he's incredibly athletic and a very exciting player in space, especially above the rim. He's a high-motor player who uses his athleticism well for rebounding and active defense, and his mid-range game showed enough improvement as the year went along to suggest he could eventually be a useful three, as teams are hoping.

Weaknesses: A small forward who can't hit the triple is going to have a hard time in today's NBA, and Grant's other offensive tools aren't enough to make up for that deficiency. He's a power forward in a small forward's body, basically, leaving him with the dreaded "tweener" label, one that sometimes speaks to potential defensive versatility but not in this case, because nobody trusts a Syracuse player to play good individual NBA defense.

Highlight Reel

What to Expect on Draft Day

While Grant's firmly in the mix with a handful of other wings in the middle of the first round, he's probably more of a long-term play than any of the others, meaning some teams could shy away. ESPN pegged Grant's range as 16 to 27 recently, but it's conceivable he could slide out of the first round if he falls to the bottom of that first round wing grouping.