Sixers Select Houston's Quentin Grimes in ESPN's Post-Combine NBA Mock Draft

ESPN's post-combine 2021 NBA Draft mock has the Sixers selecting Houston guard Quentin Grimes with the 28th pick.
Sixers Select Houston's Quentin Grimes in ESPN's Post-Combine NBA Mock Draft
Sixers Select Houston's Quentin Grimes in ESPN's Post-Combine NBA Mock Draft /

Last week, the Philadelphia 76ers' front office spent their time in Chicago watching incoming NBA Draft prospects showcase their skills in front of all 30 teams. Not only did the Sixers front office watch these players work out and scrimmage, but they also had the opportunity to meet with a bunch of the prospects as well.

With the 2021 NBA Draft Combine now officially in the rearview, teams have a better idea of who they could potentially select with their picks. ESPN's Jonathan Givony spent time in Chicago last week getting a gauge on where players might get drafted when the big event takes place next month.

Although the Sixers don't have a high lottery pick to select an immediate impact player with, they do have the opportunity to select some stellar talent at pick No. 28 this summer. In Givony's post-combine mock draft, the Sixers select Houston shooting guard Quentin Grimes late in the first round.

The Case for Grimes

"The Sixers will be looking to surround their core with as much 3-point shooting as possible after a disappointing playoff exit. Enter Grimes, one of the best shooters in the college game, who showed a lot more versatility as a passer than he had previously gotten credit for in what was an outstanding week of play at the NBA combine. Grimes looks physically ready to help a team after playing a major role taking one of the best defensive teams in college basketball to the NCAA Final Four."

Quentin Grimes is a six-foot-five 21-year-old guard, who played two seasons at the University of Houston, and one season at Kansas University. Coming out of College Park High School in Texas in 2018, Grimes was a five-star recruit headed to Kansas.

He started and played in 36 games for the Jayhawks in 2018-2019. Grimes put up eight points per game in an average of 27 minutes on the court while shooting 34-percent from three.

The following year, he transferred to Houston and debuted for the Cougars starting in 21 of 30 games. Once again, averaging about 27 minutes on the floor, Grimes managed to put up 12 points per game but shot just 32-percent from three.

While his long-range shooting during his Sophomore effort was disappointing, his Junior season was nothing short of impressive. Grimes became a full-time starter for Houston, appearing in all 30 games once again. Picking up a career-high of 32 minutes per game last season, the shooting guard collected 17 points per game while draining 40-percent of his threes, taking 8.3 attempts per game.

Considering the Sixers could certainly use more three-point shooters for next season, Grimes' shooting from beyond the arc during his Junior season should certainly be good enough to have him on Philly's radar ahead of the draft.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA