Just a couple of days after their riveting dub during their first game, the Philadelphia 76ers followed it up with another close win, this time beating the Charlotte Hornets for their first outing at home. The team now carries a clean 2-0 slate early in the year, which is a great way to start their campaign.
The 76ers were victimized by the Hornets’ rabid shot making in this game, mostly trailing since the second half kicked off, but they were able to outlast Charlotte by beating that at their game — offense. Philly caught fire late in the fourth, and a Quentin Grimes three-point shot which broke a 119-all deadlock ultimately ended up being the killing blow.
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and even Andre Drummond made several huge plays late to overcome the visitors, but if this game proved one thing, it’s that Grimes will be incredibly important for their scoring attack this season. The 25-year-old finished with 24 points, three rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes of gameplay, draining seven of his 14 shots and five of his eight attempts from rainbow country.
The 76ers just realized that Quentin Grimes will be the player to unleash their offense this season
Despite his erstwhile messy free agency situation, people have always known that Grimes was going to be important for the 76ers this season. The way this roster is set up, he will be that player that binds everything together, and this dub only reinforced that unerring fact.
Shooting from beyond the arc is not particularly a strong suit of this 76ers team, especially in the frontcourt. Most of their acuity from three-point territory comes from their guards, and Grimes in particular is arguably the squad’s most dependable off-ball threat.
Unlike his contemporaries in the backcourt in Maxey, Edgecombe, and Jared McCain, who is possibly nearing his return, Grimes does his most damage without the ball in his hands. He is a savvy cutter in those open lanes, and he is likewise adept in relocating around the perimeter to hunt for open shots and make passing angles easier for his rim-crashing teammates.
Simply put, Quentin Grimes makes everything seamless for the 76ers offensively. And the exciting part is that he has not even gotten a lot of reps yet with this actual group. With more time to gel with his teammates, their scoring attack will become even more lethal, which could compensate for some of their subsisting issues.