The Philadelphia 76ers made their 2025 preseason debut on Thursday, Oct. 2 in a game that quickly revealed how important Quentin Grimes is to the rotation. Only so much can be discerned from the preseason, particularly when stars Joel Embiid and Paul George aren't even active.
What the preseason opener confirmed, however, is that the 76ers will struggle to generate consistent perimeter offense without Grimes on the court.
Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star who can score and create at star-caliber levels, but he can only do so much without adequate support from the wings. Jared McCain should help once he returns from thumb surgery, but he's an undersized 2 at 6'3" who may not be the ideal backcourt complement for Maxey.