The Philadelphia 76ers envisioned Quentin Grimes to be one of the most vital players on the roster this season, and true enough, he turned out the way they expected him to be — a high-usage bench energizer who can go get his own shot and also create for others when needed. He has been their most reliable three-point shooter, and has arguably been the best Sixth Man in the league.
Having said that, there remains a huge cloud on whether he is a long-term piece for the team. While he is pretty young, his price tag could very well get to a point where the 76ers can no longer afford him. To make matters more interesting, the team might have just gotten a new reason not to pursue him any longer when he hits free agency next year.
Despite Grimes’ great counting stats, he is not without his faults. In fact, one of his weak points has become so well-pronounced that the front office may not deem him as an indispensable part of the team moving forward — his playmaking ability.
Quentin Grimes’ playmaking struggles could lead to 76ers exit next year
Grimes is averaging 4.4 assists per outing, which looks solid for a natural wingman. However, he is also coughing the ball up nearly three times per game, which reflects his lack of acuity as a table-setter.
On numerous occasions, fans have noticed that Grimes tends to freewheel on the floor. He has been given ample legroom to go get his numbers off the bench, but his play style has stymied the offense at times.
The 76ers are still trying to shoehorn him as a quasi-point guard, but that has been a mixed bag at best. Sure, passing the rock has never been his game, but the 76ers require that from their backcourt players given the way they play, and the team might be better off investing his minutes on, say, Jared McCain.
There is also admittedly some overlap at the guard positions when it comes to skill set, and among the 76ers’ four core guards, Grimes is the easiest one to jettison. That is pretty apparent, and that is more so the case given that the team just cannot afford to give him the big bucks he is desirous of.
While it is not the most controlling thing, playmaking constitutes the thin margin between Grimes staying in Philly and him leaving the team, especially with the 76ers not exactly lacking alternatives.