PHILADELPHIA — As the Philadelphia 76ers move forward, they will need all hands on deck as they continue to work through Paul George’s suspension and Joel Embiid’s injury issues at the moment.

That means getting more out of a guy like Quentin Grimes who has had flashes of brilliance off the bench along with some down moments in terms of his shooting. He averaged 16.9 points in November while shooting 34.1% from deep before averaging 10.2 points in December and 10.0 points in January while shooting 31.7% from deep in both months. He’s down to 9.6 points in the month of February.

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“I just want him to shoot, man,” Maxey said of Grimes. “I just want him to shoot. Like, some of those that we drive and I kick it out to him or somebody kicks it out to him, he pump fakes and drives it. No, no, no. I want him to shoot them. Shoot them. He should get up at least six or seven 3s a game and then he can start driving and making plays as well, but I just want him to be ultra aggressive.”

During a Feb. 7 matchup with the Phoenix Suns on the road, Maxey had a message for Grimes in an effort to get him going.

“I remember in Phoenix sitting next to him on the bench, like, ‘Bro, just go out there and just do you. Go hoop.’ We need that aggressiveness that he brings,” Maxey added. “We need that spark that he brings. So, hopefully, he’ll come back to it. I know that he will.”

Grimes had 14 points and shot 2-for-4 from deep in Thursday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He ended up having a solid night in terms of his scoring–which is important at the moment–and the encouragement he has received from guys like Maxey is helpful for him going forward.

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“Yeah, for sure,” said Grimes. “Just being out there, being in attack mode when I get out there on the court, making the right play whether that’s for myself, for my teammates. Just being in attack mode. If I get an open shot, shoot it. Nick Nurse has given me the confidence to go out there and play my game. Just go out there and being aggressive, I think, is the main thing.”

As the Sixers begin a 3-game road trip against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, Grimes has to be included in the offensive scheme. He is an X-Factor who can explode off the dribble either pulling up into a jumper or attacking the basket. Philadelphia needs all of that.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 76ers star Tyrese Maxey delivers encouraging message to Quentin Grimes