Predicting the 2022 Portland Trail Blazers Lineups

3 of 6

Sep 26, 2022; Portland, WA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) poses for a portrait during the teams media day. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Power Forward: Jerami Grant

Although the Blazers added several news players over the course of last season and this past off-season, the biggest acquisition for this young team has to be two-way forward Jerami Grant, best known for his time in Denver and most recently, the Detroit Pistons, from whom he was acquired. The team thankfully didn’t overpay for Grant, and with such ability on both sides of the ball, he’s a perfect fit on and off the court for Coach Billups and this team, and if he can continue to grow alongside All-Pro talent like Damian Lillard, we could see a career year from Grant in 2022.

His two seasons in Detroit were the best in his career, averaging 23 and 19 PPG over that time, and now, with the addition of an All-NBA point guard and a team that’s wanting to win right now, we could still see his best as yet to come. If the three point shooting and mid-range game can be solid, Grant should be an effective, floor spacing 4, and if Nurkic remains involved, this is a team that has five players all capable of averaging 20+ PPG over a season.

Grant has often been on teams as a third option, with an established, veteran leadership group, but in Portland, he is expected to be the second option on a young team, so if he can take over and lead through his play in 2022, the Blazers will have a player with a skillset that they haven’t seen in a very long time.