76ers fans must face disheartening truth once Quentin Grimes is re-signed

The 76ers have a lot to prove.
Miami Heat v Philadelphia 76ers
Miami Heat v Philadelphia 76ers | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

For the last few weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers have been stuck in purgatory, which is Quentin Grimes’ motionless restricted free agency negotiations. As I’ve said, it’s a matter of when, not if, he’s re-signed, but even when both parties come to terms on a new contract, don’t expect a big splash. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, barring an unexpected trade, Philadelphia is essentially done making moves once Grimes is retained.

Currently, the 76ers have one standard roster spot remaining, which will eventually be occupied by Grimes. They’re also out of two-way deals after signing Dominick Barlow last week. So, this report checks out, especially since Daryl Morey tends to save flexibility for the trade deadline and buy-out market. On paper, Philadelphia can be a top-three team in the Eastern Conference, but there are two huge questions it must answer.

Can they stay healthy and build chemistry?

At this point, I feel like a broken record – the 76ers will only go as far as Joel Embiid can take them. This notion has been proven with countless iterations of the roster, whether it’s Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, James Harden, or Ben Simmons. While Philadelphia had other flaws last season, injuries ultimately derailed its contention hopes and were the catalyst for arguably the most disappointing campaign in franchise history.

Due to lingering knee issues, Embiid was limited to 19 games, during which time he looked far from the player who won the Most Valuable Player award two years ago. George sustained a variety of nagging injuries that caused him to miss 41 games, and Jared McCain’s brilliant rookie season was tragically cut short due to a torn meniscus. As a result, Maxey had a down year of sorts, with increased pressure to keep the 76ers afloat amidst the chaos. 

The influx of injuries prevented their big three from developing chemistry as Embiid, Maxey, and George went 7-8 in the 15 games they played together. It’s safe to assume Philadelphia’s luck will improve next season, but there are still some red flags. George entered last season fully healthy, but went on to endure a variety of injuries that limited his impact. At 35 years old, the possibility of something similar occurring once more isn’t out of the question. Also, how much of his down year was due to injuries or regression?

An even bigger mystery is what version of Embiid the 76ers will get moving forward. His days of being a top-tier MVP candidate are likely over because of the inevitable load management he’ll endure. The most realistic outcome is that Embiid will remain an all-star caliber center, but drop down the ladder of MVP talks. There’s reason to believe this could become a reality as Morey revealed Embiid’s recovery is on track during his Summer League media availability.

Does Philadelphia have reliable power forward depth?

Injuries aside, Philadelphia has a lot of uncertainty with its power forward depth. While Trendon Watford was a sneakily solid addition, he’s far from a sure thing. While I believe Watford could mold into a starting caliber four, there’s also a world where he struggles to adapt to the 76ers. He split his four-year career between two tanking teams – the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets. Watford was given a lot of freedom as a ball-handler that he likely won’t have in Philadelphia, so he’ll need to adjust to playing more within the offense alongside stars.

The 76ers also added Barlow and Jabari Walker on two-way contracts to patch up the depth at four. Out of these three prospects, they’ll likely strike gold with at least one of them and there are reasons to be intrigued by these prospects. Still, for a team with title aspirations, you’d like to see more certainty throughout the roster. This is why many – including myself – proposed that Philadelphia should package Kelly Oubre Jr, Andre Drummond, and draft capital for more of a safe bet at power forward if there was an opportunity. 

As I mentioned, throughout his tenure in Philadelphia, Morey has repeatedly told the media to judge the roster not at the start of the season, but after the trade deadline. Still, the 76ers are projected to have one of the best guard rotations in the NBA and a formidable young core. This two timelines approach could yield them much success, but there are so many questionable factors at play that it’s hard to say that Philadelphia is a legit championship contender at the moment.