Quentin Grimes’ future with the Philadelphia 76ers is unclear, but his seamless fit has been undeniable. His three-point shooting and perimeter defense morphed him into one of the NBA’s premier sixth men this season. But, with the 76ers nearing full health, those very traits have seldom shown in December.
Grimes has struggled to integrate into Philadelphia’s offense with Joel Embiid and Paul George inheriting larger roles. He was one of the 76ers’ main ball-handlers to start the season, leading him to play arguably the best basketball of his five-year career. But Grimes has yet to adjust to his surroundings and his shot profile has deteriorated as a result.
He averaged 8.1 points on 28.1% shooting from the field and 26.2% accuracy from three-point range in his last seven games. For reference, Grimes averaged 17 points on 45.6% shooting from the field through 21 contests. The guard’s two-way skill set should make it easy for him to scale down to a complementary option alongside its stars. That has not materialized, however. George and Embiid appeared six and four times, respectively, in this sample, producing ripple effects on Grimes’ role.
With Embiid stationed in the post and George receiving more ball-handling responsibility, the 76ers are using Grimes in fewer on-ball structures and it shows. His usage rate drops by 4.8 when he and Embiid share the floor and declines by 6.3 when George is paired with him. Their heightened roles have made it rarer for Grimes to receive on-ball opportunities. Only 22.8% of his shots came within 10 feet of the rim in his last seven outings compared to 39.3% in his first 21 games.
Early in the season, the 25-year-old thrived when he exploited unset defenses off the dribble in transition. This allowed him to develop rhythm for when Philadelphia needed his spot-up shooting or used him via pin-down screens. He is most lethal as a shooter when receiving the ball off movement rather than firing right off the catch. Grimes shot 6.7% better using one dribble than none since December 7th.
Now, he has to perform within the confines of a slower-paced offense that caters more towards Embiid’s strengths. The guard has endured growing pains alongside Philadelphia’s stars as he hasn’t made defense pay for double-teaming Embiid. Grimes didn’t make a single shot using an Embiid pass in his last seven games, something that should improve with more chemistry.
Embiid and George cycling in and out of the 76ers’ lineup has only seemingly further disrupted Grimes’ rhythm. When the guard shouldered on-ball opportunities in their absences, he squandered them with poor shot selection, often settling for threes rather than seeking the restricted area. He attempted 38.8% of his shots when a defender guarded him within two to four feet in his last seven appearances.
Going from an offensive focal point to a 3&D player is a tough transition given Grimes’ strong start to the season. He still possesses the skills to be an elite fit alongside Philadelphia’s nucleus on paper. Not only do Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey have to adjust to each other, but it’s just as dire a process for the 76ers’ rotation as a whole.
Grimes’ woes could partly be due to shooting variance, as is often the case with high-volume shooters. Still, he must rediscover his role within Philadelphia’s offense and the best way to do so is simple: take advantage of the gravity that Maxey, Embiid and George command. With that trio available, things will not improve for Grimes on the play-calling front, so his moving without the ball through cuts or motion is crucial to staying involved.