{"id":172967,"date":"2026-01-16T14:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=172967"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:44:08","slug":"the-trail-blazers-continue-to-find-jerami-grants-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/16\/the-trail-blazers-continue-to-find-jerami-grants-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trail Blazers Continue To Find Jerami Grant&#8217;s Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/grantje01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerami Grant<\/a> is finally back in the Portland Trail Blazers rotation. After 14 games on the sidelines, Grant&#8217;s impact became apparent as soon as he played. The Blazers&#8217; offense got a shot in the arm, as Tiago Splitter&#8217;s system had another dynamic offensive player.<\/p>\n<h2>The Trail Blazers Continue To Find Jerami Grant&#8217;s Impact<\/h2>\n<p>For the past few weeks, the Portland Trail Blazers have relied on <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/avdijde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deni Avdija<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sharpsh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shaedon Sharpe<\/a>. They have been in charge of the offense without an established third option. Before Jerami Grant&#8217;s injury, he was <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/23\/blazers-chauncey-billups-found-optimal-jerami-grant-role\/\" target=\"_self\">firmly the third option<\/a> behind the other two.<\/p>\n<p>Losing him to an injury hurt Tiago Splitter&#8217;s system because the offense became stale. With <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murrakr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kris Murray<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cissosi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sidy Cissoko<\/a> entering the starting lineup, opponents knew who to focus on. They have made some great improvements, but Grant is still the finished product.<\/p>\n<h3>Grant&#8217;s Impact Was Evident In His Return<\/h3>\n<p>Grant played his first game after recovering from his injury on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. It was a tough test immediately because he had to play against breakout star <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/johnsja05.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Johnson<\/a>. In his 23 minutes, Grant was impressive with 16 points and two blocks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think he&#8217;s not there yet, as the way he left. 16 points in 23 minutes, I&#8217;ll take it every day. He&#8217;s just got a guy who will find a score, to be effective, and defend McCollum and Johnson. Gives us something that we&#8217;ve been missing,&#8221; <a  href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/o2jj7tIn1tA?si=35eQWP-NyDInzCta&amp;t=46\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Splitter said after beating the Hawks.<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Having Grant back is so nice. Portland desperately needed another scorer off the bench and Jerami was awesome there to start the season<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; \ud83c\udd75\ud83c\udd7e\ud83c\udd81\ud83c\udd83\ud83c\udd77\ud83c\udd74\ud83c\udd75\ud83c\udd70\ud83c\udd7d\ud83c\udd82 \ud83c\udf99 (@503Blazerfans) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/503Blazerfans\/status\/2012005029155389497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/31\/the-growing-importance-of-veteran-jrue-holidays-blazers-role\/\" target=\"_self\">important to have a veteran<\/a> like Grant on the roster. Most of the core group of players are quite young, so Grant&#8217;s experience stands out. The same goes for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a>, who has also returned to the rotation recently.<\/p>\n<p>This season, Grant is averaging 19.8 points per game. Those are important numbers for a team that wants to reach the postseason. With a core of Avdija, Sharpe, Holiday, and Grant, they have a superb offense. That gets better with <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/camarto01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toumani Camara<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/clingdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donovan Clingan<\/a> providing the hustle.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_163920\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-163920\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Portland Trail Blazers veteran forward Jerami Grant\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" class=\"size-large wp-image-163920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27342925_168404789_lowres.jpg 1905w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-163920\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) questions a call during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Blazers&#8217; Offense Is More Dynamic With Grant<\/h3>\n<p>For the entire 2025-26 season, the Blazers have been <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/11\/04\/the-trail-blazers-offense-rears-its-ugly-head-yet-again\/\" target=\"_self\">dealing with issues on offense<\/a>. Avdija and Sharpe have done well to carry them on that end, but Grant has also been helpful. He is the type of player who can have big games without needing the ball all the time.<\/p>\n<p>Grant is the biggest off-ball threat on the Blazers&#8217; roster. His movement shooting makes him such a strong kick-out option. At the same time, he is also quite reliable when slashing into the paint.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">instant. impact. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VWaV7oDYmy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/VWaV7oDYmy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/trailblazers\/status\/2012006710462878003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>When they have a complete squad, playing Avdija, Grant, and Sharpe at the same time improves their offense. Portland has done well to succeed without a good chunk of its rotation. Avdija and Sharpe deserve credit for that, as they have been the team&#8217;s best players.<\/p>\n<p>With Grant on the roster, three-point shooting is a much more valid offensive scheme. Grant&#8217;s shooting is reliable, whether it&#8217;s off the bounce or as a spot-up shooter. He can also serve as an isolation scorer whenever Avdija or Sharpe need a break from handling the ball.<\/p>\n<h3>Splitter&#8217;s System Is Better With A Healthy Roster<\/h3>\n<p>Splitter has done well as the acting head coach for Portland since their second game. Chauncey Billups had a full training camp as the head coach, but Splitter is now serving as the shot-caller.<\/p>\n<p>Splitter&#8217;s system has maximized Avdija&#8217;s impact. He is given free rein to attack the paint as much as he wants, which leads to his <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/10\/deni-avdija-reacts-criticism-trail-blazers-foul-baiting\/\" target=\"_self\">free-throw-heavy offense<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With Grant&#8217;s return, Avdija and Sharpe can operate with more space. They will not play against every top defender because Grant will command a good matchup. With everything coming together in time, the Blazers could be a threat in the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, they are still waiting on other players, such as <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hendesc01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scoot Henderson<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thybuma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matisse Thybulle<\/a>. This Blazers roster can truly compete with any team, especially when they have Grant&#8217;s impact in any role he plays.<\/p>\n<p>Featured Image: <span>Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jerami Grant is finally back in the Portland Trail Blazers rotation. After 14 games on the sidelines, Grant&#8217;s impact became apparent as soon as he played. The Blazers&#8217; offense got a shot in the arm, as Tiago Splitter&#8217;s system had another dynamic offensive player. The Trail Blazers Continue To Find Jerami Grant&#8217;s Impact For the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5385,"featured_media":173045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,62,23],"tags":[2831,1628,4600],"class_list":["post-172967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nba","category-trailblazers","tag-deni-avdija","tag-jerami-grant","tag-shaedon-sharpe"],"modified_by":"Benjamin Yu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172967"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173046,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172967\/revisions\/173046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}