As we approach the end of a cataclysmic Philadelphia 76ers season, the only hope lies in the future. Beyond what happens with the now protagonistic lottery balls, a big part of that future will be the backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes.
In just 11 games with the team, and 10 with Maxey, Grimes has shone. He’s blown past all expectations on offense, and has lived up to his defensive reputation. Therefore, if the Sixers re-sign him this offseason, Grimes should undoubtedly start next to Tyrese Maxey next season.
First things first, the numbers are putrid. Maxey and him have accrued a -17.19 Net Rating in their 213 minutes together. Per Cleaning The Glass, the duo has allowed 130.8 points per 100 possessions when they’ve played together. That’s in the 0th percentile. It literally cannot get worse than that.
Quentin Grimes and Tyrese Maxey on/off stats this season.
PBP Stats
But it’s not their fault. The numbers lie. The team is courting a mangled roster and seems to be intentionally losing games to maintain their top-six protected lottery pick. In their time on the court, it’s become obvious how complementary their games are. Their strengths hide the others weaknesses. They don’t get in each other’s way.
Both are great shooters. This means actions with the two of them, like actions with McCain and Maxey, create oodles of space for them or their teammates. In the below clip, neither Grimes nor Maxey’s defender wants to leave them, so they stay high as Grimes cuts up and Drummond rolls down. Maxey’s shooting threat forces Drummond’s defender to briefly step up. This allows Drummond to get a deep paint seal for an easy bucket.
In a similar action but with Grimes handling the ball off a curl screen, Maxey runs up as Drummond rolls to the rim. Maxey’s defender stays on him, leaving an open lane for Grimes to cut through. He does that and gets an easy layup.
Against the Brooklyn Nets a few games ago, Maxey got his first bucket of the game coming off a dribble handoff at the top of arc. Grimes was in the near corner, one pass away. Because he’s a shooter, his defender stayed. This, again, left the lane open for Maxey.
And, in the simplest of plays, Grimes can hit the three when they leave him to double Maxey.
This is a very simple and common concept across the NBA. But it’s vitally important. You have to demand attention on offense. Grimes and Maxey do that, as does sharpshooting rookie Jared McCain. It’s not that it makes everything easy, but it stops things from being difficult.
The above plays were the obvious ones to make: a pass to a big man right under the rim, a drive into the lane, and an open jumper.
When it hasn’t been obvious, when the defense has committed to stopping Maxey but also scrambled correctly or rotated on a string, Grimes has shown he can stay patient. He knows how an offense should flow and has the skill and confidence to manifest that vision. This is where he’s played beyond expectation.
In the clip below, after the Warriors double Maxey, they rotate well to get to Grimes on the opposite wing. Grimes’ shooting threat means Brandin Podziemski closes out hard on him. Grimes attacks the closeout and gets by Podz.
In the paint awaits Draymond Green, fresh off doubling Maxey. Grimes goes right at him, gets by him, and, just as Green commits to defending his shot, delivers a no-look bounce pass to Drummond. Green admits defeat by fouling Drummond.
That’s quick thinking and perfect execution. He could have thrown the pass to Drummond as Podz closed out, but Draymond was lurking. Instead, Grimes saw how fast Podz was closing out and realized that would allow for a two-on-one at the rim.
For a clutch bucket in the same game, Grimes has the ball at the break. Maxey is one pass away at the top of the key, and Guerschon Yabusele is one pass away in the corner. Maxey’s defender is hugging him tightly, as is Yabusele’s. Realizing those defenders won’t leave his teammates, Grimes puts his head down and drives through the open lane where Maxey’s defender should be, hits a behind-the-back dribble, and then a layup in the space where the help defender would be.
In this next clip, Maxey times the pass to Grimes perfectly, just as Grimes’ defender takes one step towards Maxey. Grimes again attacks the open space, occupies the rim protector by going right at him, and dishes off to Drummond for the easiest two points of the night.
It takes skill to do this, but Grimes’ life is made easier because Maxey will always draw the opposing team’s best perimeter defender. Against Portland, it was Toumani Camara on Maxey, leaving Anfernee Simons on Grimes. When Grimes recognized this, he’d attack, consistently getting in the paint to create an advantage.
While Grimes’ playmaking and offensive decision making have been most welcome alongside Maxey, it’s not out of the realm that Jared McCain could’ve done those things. It seems a lifetime ago, but McCain showed serious playmaking chops.
I think the biggest argument for Grimes as the starting two-guard, then, is on the defensive end. As threatening of a shooter and playmaker McCain is, and he is really, really threatening, he’s too similar in stature to Maxey for them to be effective defensively when they play together.
They are not absolute sieves, and Maxey has improved a lot this season, but Grimes is already a far better defender than Maxey and McCain ever will be.
Unlike the other two, as well as guarding like-sized guards, he can also switch onto bigger ball-handling wings and make driving difficult for them. He’s great at poking the ball away while staying in front of them and making them uncomfortable as they get right up to the rim. If they do overpower him or get a solid position off the ball, he can use those quick hands and instincts to turn the ball over.
Grimes isn’t an all-NBA level defender (at least, not yet), but he is good enough to allow Maxey to take plays off by guarding a shooter in the corner. However, that’s not all Maxey should be resorted to. When he and Grimes are off-ball, they are insanely active, very quick at closing out on shooters, and elite at shutting down space before the offense sees it.
Watch how they both teleport to help position after Yabusele bites on the pump-fake. Then, Maxey beats the ball to the open-corner shooter and Grimes helps on the Chicago dunk attempt.
In the next clip, Grimes stays attached to his assignment, discouraging Kevon Looney from even attempting a screen (Yabu’s physicality also helped). After that, Maxey’s speed chasing Buddy Hield gets Looney called for the illegal off-ball screen.
Below, Grimes floats between Payton in the dunker’s spot and Draymond beyond the arc. In the last second, he commits to Payton. The driving Podz recognizes this, so passes it out to Draymond. As soon as he does, Maxey flies from the top of the arc to contest the shot and force a miss.
It’s rocket-powered defensive movement and disruption that is self-perpetuating. Because they have the speed to correct defensive mistakes, they can take more risks. If the risk goes wrong, the other can correct their potential mistake and let the mistake maker fly into the right position.
Let me throw some rose-tinted glasses on, hop in the DeLorean, and drink a bit of delusional optimism juice. Next season, the defensive energy and diverse playmaking of a Maxey and Grimes backcourt complements an aging frontcourt of Paul George, Joel Embiid, and whoever the team re-signs out of Yabusele and Kelly Oubre Jr. (a choice they’ll likely have to make because of Grimes’ play) more than a McCain and Maxey backcourt does.
McCain can then come off the bench and play with either Maxey or Grimes. Hell, I’m sure there’ll be occasions where all three of them will close quarters or games. Putting Grimes in that bench spot would make life harder on everyone. Embiid and George would have to expend more energy on defense, there’d be less shots for Maxey and McCain as they’d have to share them, and Grimes would face a stronger defense with lesser offensive options around him (if George and Embiid were on the bench while he shares the court with one of McCain or Maxey).
Whatever happens, at least it’s a good problem to have after a season full of horrible ones.