After perhaps the worst season of his career, Jerami Grant started 2025-26 like a man on a mission to prove that last year was a fluke — and that he's still a high-level player in the NBA. He was shooting the ball well, attacking the hoop aggresively, and seemed happy to come off the bench in Portland.
Over the past few weeks, that promising start has cratered, and Grant looks more like he did last season. In December, he's shooting just 38.8 percent from the field as the Blazers freefall down the Western Conference standings continues.
After perhaps his best game of the season on November 24th in a win against the Bucks, Grant has struggled to find his shot. But that's in large part because he's been forced to blindly take as many shots as he possibly can — injuries have crushed this team in recent weeks, and that has caused Grant to be an offensive hub alongside Deni Avdija.
Jerami Grant is being asked to do too much amid injury-riddled season
Two things are true here. Yes, Jerami Grant is being asked to do too much with so many injuries to his teammates, so it makes sense that his efficiency has tanked recently. Yes, a player on a 5-year, $160 million contract that was signed because of his offensive abilities should be able to carry a team for a few weeks while his teammates are out.
Grant is a good player, and I don't think the Blazers regret signing him to this deal, despite a brutal 2024-25 campaign. He's been a good player for the Blazers more than he's been a bad player for them. Plus, when this team is fully healthy, he'll hopefully be able to return to a Sixth Man role, which he was thriving in to start the year.
However, it's not comforting to know that when Grant's role increases, his efficiency tanks. It's especially sad to see after how well he — and the Blazers as a team — started the year. I don't think Grant getting back on track will save this team... But it would be a start in getting back to the competitive team they appeared to be about a month ago.