Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes could be the key to the team avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be without their 'Big Three' of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid for Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sound familiar? This is an eerily similar situation to how the end of the 2024-2025 season played out for Philadelphia. None of Maxey, George, or Embiid played down the stretch, but one player stepped up big time.
That player being guard Quentin Grimes.
Grimes burst onto the scene without the stars in the mix for the 76ers last season, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 46.9% shooting and 37.3% shooting from three-point range in 28 games.
Every game matters at this stage of the season, especially for a 76ers team that has fallen to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference in recent days. They are closely trailing the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic in the standings with a record of 34-29.
With the Oklahoma City Thunder in control of their first-round pick (top-four protected), tanking is pointless for Philadelphia this year.
All this is to say, Grimes could truly determine the outcome of the 76ers' season.
He had arguably his best performance of the season on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, recording 26 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 60% shooting in 41 minutes of action. This is the level of play Philadelphia needs from Grimes to avoid the Play-In Tournament and secure a playoff spot.
The Play-In Tournament is a dangerous spot to be in for any team hoping to make a playoff run, as just one or two losses can lead to elimination. For a Sixers team that struggles with keeping their stars on the floor, relying on a single game to determine the outcome of the season is a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, Grimes has taken over games in the past for Philadelphia. He'll need to not only do that on Monday and Tuesday with the 'Big Three' out but also down the stretch for the 76ers to hopefully avoid the Play-In Tournament.
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