Jerami Grant proving he’s a keeper for Nuggets

At this point, it’s almost imperative that the Denver Nuggets bring Jerami Grant back this offseason.

While stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic have gotten most of the spotlight this postseason, and deservedly so, Jerami Grant has emerged as one of the Denver Nuggets’ most important players in the playoffs.

From his defensive effort to his offensive contributions, it’s fair to question where the Nuggets would be had Grant not played at such a high level in a number of the team’s games.

Against the Utah Jazz in the first round, Grant was one of the few players capable of making shots tough for Donovan Mitchell and his sound defensive technique, from execution to awareness, allowed him to supplant rookie forward Michael Porter Jr. in the starting lineup in Game 4. Grant held Jazz players to 40.2% shooting from the field whenever he was guarding them. However, he also excelled as a 3-point shooter in that series, scoring 11.3 points per game on 41.2% from three (4.9 attempts per game).

In Denver’s semifinals series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Grant has been playing excellent defense against two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard more often than not. This allowed him to help force Kawhi into a pedestrian 4-17 shooting night, and so far the Clippers are only shooting 43.5% against the field against him.

After Grant averaged 12.0 points per game for the Nuggets on 47.8% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from outside, it was obvious that his combination of length, athleticism and inside-out scoring could benefit a frontcourt in Denver that featured Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap. While both Jokic and Millsap have shown they can excel as 3-point shooters, they’re anything but speedy.

Speaking of Millsap, who will be a free agent this offseason along with Grant, there’s a serious question of whether the Nuggets should bring him back. He certainly won’t be coming back with a $30 million price tag, which Denver has paid him each of the last three seasons. Already a generous amount for Millsap when he was signed, it’s clear that the former All-Star is on a decline.

While he’s maintained his outside shooting, shooting 43.5% from three in the regular season and 39.1% from three these playoffs, other areas of his game have slipped. His defense has been spotty, with him looking too slow to keep up in some games and playing with excellent energy in others. After allowing the Jazz to shoot 53.5% from the field against him in the first round, the Clippers have shot 54.1% in the second round.

The same goes for his scoring, which has been erratic. In nine playoff games this postseason, Millsap has just three games scoring in double-figures and he had four games against the Jazz where he shot 40% or worse from the field.

Ultimately, while Grant looks as if he’s a player that the Nuggets should bring back, the same can’t really be said of Millsap yet. Especially with the emergence of Michael Porter Jr.

Though MPJ still has his work cut out for him on the defensive end, he’s showed significant progress with his awareness, effort and technique on that area since being targeted by the Jazz early in the first round. It’s his offense which is special though, and though he’s had a couple of ineffective scoring nights, he’s undoubtedly a player whose offense will put him on an opposing team’s scouting report.

Porter averaged 22.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the seeding games, showing off an excellent shot while nailing 55.1% of his shots and 42.2% of his threes. His aggressive rebounding is a stark contrast when compared to Grant, and truthfully, they’re a duo that can compliment each other whether they’re playing side-by-side of subbing out for one another.

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In the playoffs, Porter has had a reduced role and not taking shots frequently appears to affect his rhythm, but he’s still managed to average 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

When Will Barton returns, it’s possible that Denver opts to move Grant back to his more natural position of power forward, along with Porter. Torrey Craig, should the Nuggets bring him back, will likely become Barton’s backup in that scenario.

Someone would have to be the odd man out between Grant, Millsap and Porter. With Grant providing the best all-around play and Porter having such a high ceiling, it would seem that player would be Millsap.

The main reason to keep Millsap would be because of his veteran leadership and that he still has games when his defense is a difference-maker. However, if his price tag may be too high for Denver, then it’s more likely that they bring Grant back and have an amicable split with the Louisiana native.

It’s also possible that the Nuggets decide to make Grant the backup to Barton at small forward, while Millsap and Porter battle it out for the starting power forward spot next season.

No matter what though, Grant will be back. He has to be back because he’s their most valuable free agent.

He will likely be looking for a pay raise this offseason but as long as it’s between $15-$20 million per year, the Nuggets should be all over it.

*All stats gathered from NBA Advanced Stats and Basketball Reference