I’d like to direct you to the NBA’s stats page for the month of March, at least as of 11:18 p.m. on March 17. When you sort all players by the number of points they’re scoring on average this month, you see the league’s holy trinity scrunched together in the teens with one unusual name sandwiched between them. Coming in at No. 14, with 26.6 points per game, is Stephen Curry. At No. 16, with 26 points per game, is LeBron James. At No. 17, with 25.9 points per game, is Kevin Durant. Par for the course, right? Three legends all topping 25 points per game this month. Wait, who was that guy you mentioned before, the outlier in that group?
It’s Quentin Grimes, folks, nestled just between Curry and James at 26.4 points per game this month, and if you’ve watched much of the Philadelphia 76ers over the past few weeks you likely consider the comparison to three all-time greats appropriate. For most of the first five years of his career, Grimes was a perfectly serviceable player. He’s been the starting shooting guard on a playoff team and a consistently useful role player for several franchises. Someone you’d be happy to have on your team, but not someone you’d ever expect to build your team around.
But ever since he landed in Philadelphia, he’s been a superstar. Mirages like this can happen. Remember when T.J. Warren turned into Michael Jordan in the bubble? It’s similarly plausible that we’re witnessing the beginning of something, a breakout that could translate into something much bigger for Grimes. Goran Dragić didn’t become a full-time starter until his fifth season, and then became an All-NBA player in his sixth. Kyle Lowry didn’t make his first All-Star team until his ninth season. Chauncey Billups was a journeyman before he was a Finals MVP. Player development isn’t always linear.
So, for lack of a better way of putting this, what’s the deal? What is happening here? What does it mean for Grimes? For the 76ers? And for the teams that don’t currently employ him? Let’s try to figure that out here, starting with Grimes and then working our way…
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