Philadelphia Sixers fans thought that maybe — just maybe — the 2024-25 season would be different. It technically has been different, but for all of the wrong reasons. Not only will the Sixers not come close to ending the Joel Embiid conference finals jokes, but they could miss the Play-In Tournament altogether.
The hits haven't stopped coming for Philadelphia. Embiid and Paul George missed the season-opener, a sign of what would come. The former was ruled out for the rest of the season because of his nagging knee issues after playing in only 19 games, and the latter doesn't look anything like the player the Sixers thought they'd be getting.
George is averaging 16.2 points per game, which is his lowest since the 2012-13 season (not counting the 8.8 points he averaged in 2014-15 in only six games). It says a lot that he's been outshined the past few games by newcomer Quentin Grimes.
There hasn't been a lot to cheer about as a Sixers fan. One positive was Jared McCain, who was headed toward the Rookie of the Year award before he had season-ending surgery in mid-December on his knee. Thanks to Nico Harrison's mismanagement, Philadelphia has another young player to root for in Grimes.
Quentin Grimes is giving Sixers fans something to be happy about
The Sixers traded Caleb Martin to the Mavericks before the deadline for Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick. The move has given fans something to cheer about, as Grimes has been on a heater the past few games with his increased role.
He dropped a career-high 44 points (18-of-24 from the field, 6-of-9 from three), six rebounds, three steals, and one assist in a massive 126-119 win over the Warriors. Grimes followed that up with a 14-point performance (6-of-15 shooting) in a loss to the Trail Blazers. He got back into a groove on Tuesday against the Timberwolves, dropping 30 points (12-of-18 shooting) for the third time as a Sixer (in only 11 games!!).
Quentin Grimes so far in March:
- 29.3 PPG
- 2.0 SPG
- 63/43/54 splits
- 70% true shooting
He has the same amount of 30 point games as a Sixer that Paul George has 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZQ4wamkXOP
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) March 6, 2025
The guard will be a restricted free agent over the summer, which is part of why Dallas traded him even though he was playing well with the Mavericks. Grimes' value has gone up since he arrived in Philadelphia. His ascension could force the front office to prioritize re-signing him over players like Guerschon Yabusele, who will be an unrestricted free agent.
Grimes will be 25 in May, so he's still young. He fits the direction the Sixers are headed in. He could become a key piece for Philadelphia moving forward as a 3-and-D weapon.
The cherry on top of Grimes' newfound stardom is that he started his career in New York, where he was until the 2024 trade deadline. Watching him blossom in Philly has been fun — unless you're a Knicks fan (which makes it even better).
In a season where very few things have gone right, watching Grimes shine has been refreshing.