Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid has been cleared to return to action. It's the headline that has provided a light at the end of the tunnel for a 76ers team that played just 58 of its 164 games with the former MVP in the lineup over the past two seasons.
Countless players will benefit from Embiid's return to the rotation, but no one projects to profit more from playing alongside the two-time scoring champion than Quentin Grimes.
Grimes has played alongside his share of top-tier players, including Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic. He's also experienced success while working with many of the 76ers' current players, including All-Stars Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.
Grimes has never had a teammate quite like Embiid, however, in the way that the future Hall of Famer collapses opposing defenses with his mere presence down low.
That's a compelling thought considering Grimes turned in 28 games of brilliant play after the 76ers acquired him in 2024-25. He'll now have matters simplified for him even further while playing alongside one of the most dominant players of the modern era.
Whether or not Grimes averages the same number of points as he managed in 2024-25, he's about to turn in the best season of his career if he adapts as well as he should to Embiid's return.
Quentin Grimes is a perfect fit alongside Joel Embiid
Grimes' 28-game run with the 76ers in 2024-25 was an impressive display of untapped potential suddenly being realized. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.9 three-point field goals made per game while shooting at a clip of .469/.373/.752.
Considering Grimes boasts a career slash line of .444/.375/.763, it's intriguing to think that the only significant statistical change was that the volume with which he produced increased.
It's admittedly unlikely that Grimes will average upward of 20.0 points per game on a team with a healthy version of Embiid, Paul George, and Maxey. It's even less likely when factoring in the presence of promising rookie V.J. Edgecombe and productive scoring guard Jared McCain.
Grimes has been a selfless player throughout his NBA career, however, and his specialty as a catch-and-shoot marksman bodes well for the environment he's entering.
76ers' Quentin Grimes is a catch-and-shoot specialist and a dream fit
Grimes is coming off of a season in which he shot 39.4 percent on catch-and-shoot three-point field goals. That was the second-lowest mark of his four-year career, with a 35.1 percent season in 2022-23 qualifying as his worst.
That alone should prove what Grimes, who has also shot 41.2 and 40.0 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, can offer within an offense with three All-Stars.
The reason for intriguing in regard to how well Grimes can fit alongside Embiid is that he's never played with a player who can collapse a defense without having to drive first. Embiid can simply go to the low block and generate the type of defensive pressure that inevitably allows shooters to find space.
Whether it's Embiid or another player making the pass, Grimes has proven time and again that he can access the openings in a defense and convert catch-and-shoot threes at an elite clip.
Beyond the catch-and-shoot opportunities, Grimes has taken to Nick Nurse's system like a fish to water. He's been more active in pursuing his own shot—a trend that began earlier in the season with the Dallas Mavericks—and is exploring elements of his game that were previously unheralded.
With Embiid commanding regular double teams and Grimes proving proficient both on and away from the ball, a career year is looming for one of the 76ers' most important players.