There are more than 500 players currently in the NBA, but only a fraction of that number are given consistent minutes and opportunities by their teams. Such is the nature of the league, where franchises balance multiple priorities and at times need to cater to the demands of certain parties.
Players are affected the most, as they are either given a ton of chances to succeed (and fail) or fall victim to bouncing from team to team despite their best efforts. The latter seems to be the case for Quentin Grimes.
Grimes has played for four NBA teams in four years and depending on your perspective, the 24-year old is already approaching journeyman status or he remains in demand for teams and just can’t seem to find the right fit. Given Grimes’ recent play, though, those teams may be onto something.
The Philadelphia 76ers were happy to have Grimes’ 3-point shooting, which made him pretty much unstoppable even in a Sixers loss. In the last five games, Grimes has been averaging Shai Gilegeous-Alexander-like numbers (32.6 points on 52.3 percent field goal shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and a block) and has been posting career-highs across the board since moving to Philadelphia.
Never mind that the Sixers are firmly entrenched in the lottery; Grimes has maximized the opportunities in front of him. Many of his teammates seem to at times be going through the motions, but the 25th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft has been going at game speed every time he steps on the court. Philadelphia has thus rewarded him with the keys to the offense as they load manage let Tyrese Maxey and Paul George rest and recover for the time being.
With 14 games left on the Sixers’ schedule, Grimes could match or even eclipse the 71 games he played back when he was with the New York Knicks, depending on the Sixers’ personnel plans going forward. However, Grimes should definitely figure into Philadelphia’s future plans, as they would need depth to offset any injuries they will encounter with their shaky core of Maxey, George, and Joel Embiid. The Sixers wouldn’t mind seeing the likes of Grimes proving their worth in games where they could have won but ended up losing; after all, it gives them a higher chance of winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes while finding players worth keeping.
Quentin Grimes’ fate remains up in the air, as he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-2025 season. However, it’s clear as day that he will always find a team that will be happy to have his talents. If indeed his time with the Philadelphia 76ers will be short, it’s definitely been a sweet stint for the record books.
