After a piping hot start to the season, Quentin Grimes has struggled for the Philadelphia 76ers in the last couple of months. Since December started, he has been averaging just 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the field, which includes a meager 33.9 percent success rate from beyond the three-point line.
Those figures are far from ideal given that he is playing almost 30 minutes a night. As such, head coach Nick Nurse is reportedly considering promoting him to the starting unit away from his current role as their nominal sixth man. Sounds counterintuitive, right? After all, that is simply not the move for a player who is already struggling adjusting to a more minor role.
Nurse should be way smarter than that. The thought of moving Grimes to the opening group, while interesting as a thought piece, makes absolutely no sense from a functional viewpoint. After all, that would entail that one of their starters would be demoted, and there is literally no reason to alter their preferred starting five right now.
The 76ers starting Quentin Grimes would be a huge mistake
Grimes plays the same position as VJ Edgecombe, and there is no acceptable scenario where the rookie sensation comes off the bench to accommodate a likely short-term piece like the former. That is simply not happening.
The 76ers also cannot bench Paul George in favor of Grimes. The team is already thin and small on the wings, and despite the former All-Star’s decline, he is still a very capable defender and secondary creator. Benching him would likewise be unfeasible.
While Dominick Barlow has the least pedigree in the opening lineup, he is their most reliable intangibles guy. Pushing Grimes thereto and going small will only exacerbate their inconsistent team defense and rebounding struggles.
Sure, it would indeed benefit the 76ers if they help Grimes get out of his long slump, but they should remain reasonable in doing so. Right now, there is no doubt that playing off the bench suits him best, as he has much more liberty to go get his shot and create for others when playing next to second-unit guys.
If Nick Nurse ends up making this change, a lot of people will not be happy — and rightfully so. More offense is not what they need in the starting lineup, and for the sake of striking a better balance, they should keep Quentin Grimes in his current role.