The Philadelphia 76ers have won each of their last two games despite missing four of five starters, including three of their biggest stars. These two games, against the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers, were won, in large part, thanks to the play of soon-to-be free agent guard Quentin Grimes.
After scoring 28 points on Saturday against Brooklyn, Grimes took another step forward against the Trail Blazers, pouring in 31 points on the second day of a back-to-back for the Sixers. In both games, Grimes led the game in scoring and got the win for the currently struggling Sixers. Before these wins, the Sixers had gone 2-5 in their last seven games.
With superstar guard Tyrese Maxey now dealing with an injury, many eyes turned to Quentin Grimes to start carrying the load offensively for the Sixers. Last season, the Sixers acquired Quentin Grimes in a deadline deal from the Dallas Mavericks that sent forward Caleb Martin to the Mavericks. Grimes, after arriving, immediately made his presence known.
Last year, in 28 games for the injury-riddled Sixers, Grimes averaged an astronomical 21.9 points per night, shooting 46.9% from the field. Previously, Grimes had never averaged more than 11.3 points per night in his career. Despite this impressive output, Grimes and the Sixers ultimately failed to agree to a new long-term contract.
This season, Grimes has come back down to earth in terms of his scoring output. While he has not been a 20-point-per-game scorer this season, he has played a valuable sixth-man role for the team. This year, he's averaging 13.5 points a night for the squad on 44.7% shooting from the field and 32.8% from three.
Last offseason, Quentin Grimes was a restricted free agent, meaning that teams could negotiate with him, but the Sixers would ultimately have the right to match any contract. The Sixers ultimately were willing to shell out top money for a player they only got to see for 28 games. This allowed Grimes to evaluate his options. Eventually, Grimes decided to sign his qualifying offer, agreeing to a one-year, $8.7 million contract.
However, the Quentin Grimes of last year has begun to reappear. In his last seven games, Grimes has quietly strung together quality performances. In those games, Grimes has averaged 22.1 points on 47.4% shooting. While neither he nor the Sixers have been shooting well from three as of late, the team is rallying around the gritty play of both him and rookie guard VJ Edgecombe.
While the Sixers have ultimately been vindicated in not agreeing to a long-term contract with Grimes in the rumored $20 million range, the team should absolutely look to keep him. For Grimes, if he can keep this team afloat until stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George return, he may find himself as an unrestricted free agent with some semi-lucrative offers this upcoming offseason. A true 3&D guard who can step up when stars miss time is something that almost any team would covet in free agency, and the Sixers would be wise to continue to invest in the young former Maverick.
