The Denver Nuggets have found their missing piece in Jerami Grant

Sometimes a piece just doesn’t fit. In a past life as a musician, my group had been struggling with a member who simply wasn’t clicking. Didn’t fit the sound, the notes, or the tight-knit family we had going. He was a nice guy, but he had to go.

It’s not a simple thing to do, moving on from a known quantity, even when you know that leaves you “less than”. The devil you know is so much easier to deal with then the one you don’t. Having already made a poor decision in bringing the last guy in, we were understandably nervous about our next pick. We set about making a list of qualities we’d most desire in our next selection. The list we came up with described a real rarity, someone who could:

• cover over 4 octaves
• be a great soloist
• be a great backup (often you’re one or the other)
• fit in well with four rather… peculiar partners

There were other wishes, but those were the biggies. And sometimes when you seek something very specific, you’re lucky enough to find what you’re looking for. We spent the next several years tearing it up with the “unicorn” who was truly our missing piece. We went from very good to untouchable for a long and successful run, one of the most enjoyable stretches of my career.

When the already-exceptional Denver Nuggets finally bowed out of the 2018-19 season, they’d come closer to the Finals than they had in over a decade, in one of their most-successful seasons in history. Had they been able to score one more point in any of the first three of the four overtimes they spent against Portland in last years’ Game 3 playoff loss, they may have moved on to the Western Conference Finals, as they were tantalizingly close to their ultimate goal.

Though last season’s Nuggets took the floor with one of the league’s finest teams, they still saw a need to make improvements after coming up short. Denver made a list of their own that could help them make their next step forward:

• Improved three-point defense
• Improved overall defense
• Improved rebounding
• Improved scoring above the rim
• Improved speed
• Improved three-point shooting

As well as Denver performed in each of those categories last year, and as deep as they were, the playoffs exposed a need for even greater depth in each of those spots, with a successful seven-game series carrying them to a less-successful seven-game series. Had the Nuggets gotten to the Warriors, they’d have been running on fumes. Depth and consistency in the topics above could have shortened both of their playoff series, and given them a clearer run at a championship. Finding players who could give them that boost but not upset the already-stellar team dynamic was key. But surely filling out that steep and challenging list would take a few specific bodies to fulfill, right?

Right?

Well, not so fast. While much of the rest of the West went for sweeping changes, the Nuggets have placed their bets on the continuity that got them here in the first place. Denver found their unicorn in a single player as well, checking all six boxes by stealing Jerami Grant from division rival Oklahoma City. Aside from the geeks of Nuggets Nation and tertiary NBA pundits, Grant’s move was one of the less-reported stories of the NBA offseason, amidst names like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Anthony Davis, Mike Conley, and more. By season’s end, don’t be surprised if Grant’s move doesn’t end up having one of the largest impacts. Here’s a recent sample of the dimensions Grant will add to the Nuggets:

Sure, it’s a single preseason game, but if things already look that smooth, imagine once he gets fully integrated into the team. Grant is such a blend of skills that it’s hard to find a comp from Nuggets power forwards past unless you Frankenstein the skills of several. Grant runs, rebounds, and dunks like Kenneth Faried, defends like Kenyon Martin, and shoots the three like… uh… Wilson Chandler? Paul Millsap? Grant’s leap forward last year in long-distance shooting outpaced Chandler’s best season, let alone his average. Same for Millsap. If Jerami’s newfound shot should hold or barely regress, he may be the best power forward Denver has ever had from distance. Take a look at this list and you tell me.

That versatility also gives Michael Malone the ability to shift and adapt to his opponent. Need to go small? Grant played a fair bit of small-ball center at Oklahoma City as he emerged last year. Wanting to go big? Grant also has the speed, length, range, defense, and smarts to slide down to small forward, giving Denver insane length around the rim. Want to stretch the floor? Grant projects as the biggest threat from beyond the arc at power forward, something the Nuggets have already leveraged with the reliable Millsap. Need offense? Grant already makes cuts and plays in the offense as if he’s been with this cohesive squad for years, leading the team in scoring in his last game. Need defense? Grant built his career on his prowess at that end of the floor, and could join a game-ending lockdown squad alongside Gary Harris, Torrey Craig, Millsap, and Mason Plumlee. That’s a gauntlet no one would relish facing.

Is this it? Is Grant the missing piece for these Nuggets? The case is awfully strong, but there’s only one way to really know. We’re five days away from the first of 82 chances to find out.