The Philadelphia 76ers managed to get away with a cheap deal to keep Quentin Grimes on the roster, but that status quo will be heavily challenged next season when he and his camp will, without a doubt, seek a lucrative contract in free agency. Really, the front office only managed to defer the matter until next year, and their delicate situation with the 25-year-old remains in place.
As a result, Grimes is essentially in a contract year. With a potentially handsome payraise on the horizon, he has little choice but to show out this season and prove to prospective buyers that he is worth the splurge. Having said that, such missive — while merely latent at this point — is starting to show itself for the 76ers.
There is no doubt that Grimes is one of the most important players on the 76ers roster. Arguably their most reliable floor spacer this season, he has embraced his role as the team’s resident Sixth Man. In fact, he has played so well at this point that he is probably one of the early frontrunners to win the Sixth Man of the Year award.
However, some are getting the pulsation that Grimes is caring about his numbers more than he should. Still, isn’t that something the team should already expect by now?
Quentin Grimes is quietly playing the numbers game with the 76ers
In 31.7 minutes per game, playing off the bench in all but two of his appearances, Grimes has tallied nightly averages of 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per outing. Those numbers are impressive, especially since the sleek guard had to adjust to a secondary role.
Shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the three-point line, Grimes’ efficiency has been pretty spot-on with the league average and then some. However, despite his great counting stats, the prevailing sentiment with him right now is that he is constantly trying to do too much when he is on the floor.
Grimes seems to have grown out of his former complementary role, and his mini-breakout stint with the team last season after getting traded before the deadline only bolstered his confidence in being a high-usage player. However, despite getting shoehorned into a more secondary role, fans have noticed that he often finds himself in an island, albeit deliberately, turning the bench squad’s offense into a one-man show for the most part.
The 76ers should honestly have seen this coming. In anticipation of his next deal, Grimes is doing as much as he can to maintain his value and even ameliorate it. For better or for worse, he will be freewheeling a lot of times this season. Of course, there is the option of trading him, but that is far from a feasible plan at this juncture.
Quentin Grimes has become an important piece for this team, but given the circumstances, they have no choice but to allow him to continue to do what he has been doing. Hopefully, the gains will ultimately outweigh the cost.