WILMINGTON, Del. — The Philadelphia 76ers are continuing to get everybody on the same page as they get set for the 2025-26 season. After a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, the Sixers are looking to turn the page and prepare for a new season–a blank page at this point.
Coach Nick Nurse and his staff are implementing a new offensive system ahead of the new season. One that is predicated on ball movement, player movement, cutting, and hitting the open man rather than going into the Tyrese Maxey-Joel Embiid pick-and-roll. That is something Quentin Grimes is in the process of trying to get down pat as he makes his return to Philadelphia.
Grimes averaged 21.9 points for the Sixers after being acquired at the deadline, and is still trying to get himself acclimated to the new system. He had the ball in his hands a lot out of necessity down the stretch, but now, he must learn a new role.
“I mean, first of all, he’s conditioning-wise, he’s really good for not really us not seeing him all summer and all that stuff,” Nurse said on Sunday after the team’s Blue X White scrimmage. “He’s really good. So that’s good that we’re not also waiting for that. I think he’s a little behind on what’s going on out there. You can see him kind of, you know, overthinking, where should I go? What are we running? That kind of stuff, but that won’t take long for him.”
The Sixers need guards who can take defenders off the dribble, put pressure on the rim, explode into a jumper off the dribble, and mix it up inside for a rebound or two. Grimes brings those skills so even though him learning the system is going to be a process, Nurse is not too worried about that. He is a smart basketball player who will figure it out and then thrive.
“You see the explosiveness,” Nurse finished. “He’s a hard cutter. He comes flying off screens. He cuts back door, he gets on the glass. He’ll take it to the rim on you. He’ll go up and defensive rebound. I mean, we need that type of player out there, and he’s it.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Nick Nurse talks integrating Quentin Grimes into new Sixers system
