The Sixer Sense
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Jerami Grant Staking Claim To Philadelphia 76ers 2016 Starting Role

By Bret Stuter

Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant (39) moves toward the net during the fourth quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant (39) moves toward the net during the fourth quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) and 76ers forward Jerami Grant (39) after colliding during the third quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) and 76ers forward Jerami Grant (39) after colliding during the third quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /

Growing Pains

This roster will not score 120 points per game and hold opponents to 70 points from the beginning.  We know that Embiid, Saric, and Simmons will be making their debut to the NBA this season, and that will require a transition.  We know that the Philadelphia 76ers have yet to address the veteran component of the team.  We have also speculated that the team will fit the five most talented players onto the lineup, but the narrative so far is that Simmons and Saric are fours, that Embiid, Okafor and Noel are fives, and that the team is seeking help in the back court.

We’ll need to discover who fits, who can ball, and in which roles these players most excel.  Discovery is learning.  Learning is not finding what works, but more likely what does not work.

But the promise of this roster is brighter than anything we’ve had for many years.   So many point to the Philadelphia 76ers and the futility of each season.  But in the 2016-2017, the team finally has the long hoped for chance at vindication. Two players acquired for the team in 2014 will join a first round draft pick.

Jerami Grant, fresh off his nomination to USA Team Select, is worthy of playing time alongside this roster.   Noted by the best minds of the NBA as one of the 25 best young players, that vote of confidence supersedes any debate we might generate among ourselves.

Next: Tyler Ulis Has Final Workout Scheduled With Philadelphia 76ers

And so, we look into the future and it’s growing brighter by the minute.   It’s not just who may arrive, but who has already begun to step up.  Jerami Grant did not manufacture many wins on his own, but the cavalry is arriving.  But Jerami Grant has earned the respect of the NBA in just two years of play, and in doing so, is staking claim to a Philadelphia 76ers starting role.