Jerian Grant has been hit or miss so far this season. The rookie started his New York Knicks tenure with high praise from Phil Jackson, but has since found himself fighting for minutes on the court and getting criticized by outside sources who wondered if the draft-day trade was really worth it. However, Grant is starting to emerge in the last few games which could hurt the future of other players on the team.
Grant had a nice coming out party in the Knicks' win over the Boston Celtics when he put up 16 points and eight assists in 23 minutes. That is the type of production the Knicks were hoping to get from the rookie. With head coach Derek Fisher still ironing out the rotation of the team, Grant has come up big and could earn more time on the court. Carmelo Anthony made it clear that he likes what he saw from the rookie.
"When he comes in, putting pressure on the defense, it changes the dynamic of the game," Anthony said, via ESPN.com. "He stepped up big-time. He controlled our team, controlled our offense, attacked their defense. He made big plays."
Some might argue that Grant is beginning to deserve more minutes that Jose Calderon who has been the starter for the season. Calderon has struggled once again which has cause the Knicks to eye trade deals for backcourt help at the deadline. ESPN's Ian Begley has linked the team to Brandon Jennings, Jamal Crawford and Ty Lawson for potential trade deals along with bringing up Jimmer Fredette from the D-League. However, if Grant can begin to play better, the Knicks might not have to make a deal.
One thing that caused the rise of Grant in the game against the Boston Celtics was an injury to Carmelo Anthony. The star left the game after spraining his right ankle. According to Begley, x-rays were negative for the star, but he could miss some time to heal.
"I didn't have no strength in it to try to push off and get out there and play," Anthony said, via ESPN.com.
The Knicks can simply not afford to have Anthony miss time as they begin to trend upwards. Arron Afflalo is getting chemistry with the star on the court. Grant is working in better. Derrick Williams and Kristaps Porzingis are improving. Losing Anthony could throw off the positive momentum the team has gained in the past few games.
