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New York Knicks: Five reasons to trade for Jerian Grant

By Maxwell Ogden

WASHINGTON, DC -  JANUARY 10: Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 10, 2017 at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC -  JANUARY 10: Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 10, 2017 at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 2: Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls plays defense against the Charlotte Hornets on January 2, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 2: Jerian Grant #2 of the Chicago Bulls plays defense against the Charlotte Hornets on January 2, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Defensive Potential

When the New York Knicks drafted Jerian Grant, one of the reasons for optimism was his intriguing defensive potential. With elite size for the point guard position, Grant has the tools to contain and potentially lock players down on a consistent basis.

Standing at just under 6’5″ with a near 6’8″ wingspan, Grant shares the defensive versatility that could make Frank Ntilikina special.

Grant put those gifts to use in 2016-17, and earned a ranking of No. 6 amongst point guards in Defensive Real Plus-Minus (+1.07). He averaged 0.7 steals in 16.3 minutes per game, which translates to an average of 1.6 steals per 36 minutes.

Grant averaged 2.0 steals per 36 minutes in 17 games after the All-Star Break, and continued to apply overwhelming pressure to ball-handlers.

The key to this projection is that both Grant and Ntilikina have the tools to defend each of the two guard positions. That interchangeability could breed intriguing results if head coach Jeff Hornacek were to employ the duel point guard lineup he utilized in Phoenix.

Grant has already proven to be proficient on defense. Considering the Knicks are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, his defensive proficiency could be of great value.

Must Read: Realistic trade options at point guard

By executing a low-risk trade for Jerian Grant, the New York Knicks could position themselves for an even brighter future at the point guard position.

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