The Philadelphia 76ers are still at an impasse with Quentin Grimes with respect to his rather delicate situation as a restricted free agent, but it is a foregone conclusion now that he will inevitably return to the team on a new deal before traininng camp begins. That has always been the front office’s belief, and circumstances make it so that it happens no matter what the free agent’s camp tries to do to shake things up.
As a result, the 76ers should have one of the strongest backcourt rotations in the league next season. Aside from Tyrese Maxey, who will be manning the point guard position for the most part, they will also be parading the likes of the returning Jared McCain, rookie VJ Edgecombe, and of course, Grimes himself.
The latter three all have the capability to start next to Maxey, and it is only going to be a matter of fit and vision. But for now, suffice to say that Grimes will probably get the least consideration from the coaching staff when the time comes for them to make a decision on the team’s optimal starting unit.
What happened to Grimes being showcased a lot for him to be an attractive trade chip for later? Well, he can still do that, albeit in a different role.
The 76ers have to make Quentin Grimes realize his best role on the team
Last season, Grimes turned in some lofty counting stats as the team’s nominal primary option. However, aside from the fact that the operative context will be much different next season due to presumably healthier bodies on the team, he is also a bit of a dicey ball handler.
As pointed out here, the 25-year-old should probably not be trusted with the rock for huge chunks of possessions. Last season, he turned the ball over three times per game down the stretch, raising serious concerns on his viability as an on-ball threat.
This should be a hint for the coaching staff to deploy him more as an off-ball cog. He is one of their few good three-point shooters, and has also shown an uncanny ability to take it to the rack. He should be able to do that perfectly well without having to dribble the ball in concert.
No, he’s not going to be a JJ Redick or a Marco Belinelli, but putting Grimes off the ball will give him even more leeway to read defenses and try to catch them sleeping. It may not reflect well on his raw numbrs, but it could even improve his decision-making while also raising the team’s collective ceiling.
For that reason, the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff has to make it very clear to Grimes next season, lest they risk a skill overlap that could weigh the team down.