The Philadelphia 76ers are slowly starting to get healthy bodies, which is a great sign. While they have actually gone winless so far when their three best players all take the floor, the team will surely not pout at the idea of them actually playing. Unfortunately, that development has become detrimental to some people, particularly Quentin Grimes.
Grimes, who played well early in the season that he was an initial favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year, has since cooled off. However, his decline has been a pretty sharp one. In his last 10 games, he has averaged just 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 39.4 percent shooting from the field, which includes a meager 30.5 percent success rate from the three-point line.
To make a point of comparison, Grimes started the season registering 17.2 markers a night while shooting 47 percent from the floor and almost 40 percent from rainbow country on high volume. Clearly, the drop-off has been a radical one, and there is an obvious reason why he is now struggling with his shot.
Quentin Grimes is suddenly facing a bleak future with the 76ers
Grimes’ usage has taken a hit over the last couple of weeks and so. During the last 10 games, he has had a usage rate of 14.6 percent, which is eighth among all regulars in the rotation. Conversely, he was at 21.5 during the first 10 games, which ranked third on the team.
What these numbers show is that Grimes is indeed the kind of player who needs the ball in his hands a lot as an actual play dictator to best maximize his skills. Unfortunately, the 76ers have no reason to hand him the kind of usage he revels in, lest they ruin the entire dynamic with their stars.
As such, the 76ers will probably have an easier time dealing with Grimes next year in free agency. It is becoming more likely that his stint in Philly will be short-lived, especially since it is becoming apparent that he too good to be a complementary piece, yet not moderate enough to just be relegated to the margins.
Things could still change, especially if the 76ers get afflicted by the injury bug hard once again, but when it comes to building the roster, the front office will not really find that situation a compelling justification to pay Grimes a lot of money. So for those who find delight in gambling, the safer bet is that Grimes will not be a Sixer next season.