BOSTON — Overall, Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes has performed well off the bench. He’s averaging 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 35.1% from deep as any team would take that type of production from a key reserve on the floor.
However, Grimes went through a tough stretch as he shot just 31.7% from deep in the months of December and January. His efficiency was down and it seemed as if he was passing up 3s to get into the paint and try to get going that way.
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The Sixers didn’t want that. Star guard Tyrese Maxey and coach Nick Nurse have been in his ear pushing him to shoot those open looks and he has obliged. He shot 39.5% from deep in the month of February and is at 43.3% from deep since the All-Star break.
“Just looking for my shot,” Grimes told Sixers Wire. “Being in attack mode no matter who’s out there on the court. Just looking for my shot, guys finding me more since the All-Star break. So, just going out there looking for my shot and being aggressive.”
As mentioned above, Maxey recently told Grimes to just shoot the ball. He doesn’t want him passing up those open looks to try and force things in the paint. The Sixers need him to shoot those open ones to spread the floor and make sure everybody’s on the same page.
“Coach wants me to shoot, my teammates want me to shoot, and I want to shoot,” Grimes added. “So, I think when you got everybody encouraging you to shoot the ball, it makes it easier for you to go out there and be aggressive.”
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When the Sixers face the Boston Celtics on Sunday night on the road, it will be game No. 60 on the season. There will be 22 games left for Grimes and the Sixers to solidify their seeding in an effort to prepare as best they can for the playoffs. The mindset for Philadelphia: lock in.
“Just locking in,” said Grimes. “It’s the final push for seeding. The East is pretty wide-open from, like, 4 through 11. We all kind of have a close record, so we gotta be locked into every game. Every game really matters now so we gotta be locked into every single shootaround, every single film session, so just coming out with the right mindset every single time, and making sure we’re making that late playoff push to make sure we’re playing the best brand of basketball going into the playoffs.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Quentin Grimes talks recent success, 76ers locking in to final stretch
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