Quentin

Grimes

LaRavia was initially listed as questionable, but it should be no surprise that he’s been ruled out Friday after he sprained his right ankle in Wednesday’s win over the Warriors. The good news is that the injury isn’t considered serious and he should return to game action soon. Without LaRavia, Quentin Grimes could see enough minutes off the bench to be worth steaming consideration in category leagues.

Sexton missed the preseason, and his Lakers debut will have to wait while he recovers from a right soleus strain. In Sexton’s absence, more minutes could be available for Ziaire Williams, Quentin Grimes and Bronny James.

Grimes, a starter for most of the preseason, came off the bench in Friday’s finale. That may be the role he’s expected to fill, especially as the Lakers await Collin Sexton’s return from injury. The second unit needs a perimeter player who can create offensively, even if the Lakers can stagger the minutes of stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Grimes can provide scoring, making him a worthwhile pick in later rounds.

Going into training camp, many saw Grimes as a frontrunner for one of the two undecided spots in the Lakers’ starting lineup. He started Monday’s preseason opener, logging 19 minutes and shooting reliably alongside playmaker Luka Dončić. The concern is that Grimes offered little production beyond points, three-pointers and percentages. Hopefully, that won’t be the case for him once the games count.

Grimes turned 26 in May. A five-year NBA veteran, the former first-round pick by the Clippers in the 2021 NBA Draft has been traded four times in his career including on draft night. Grimes spent last season with the 76ers, appearing in 75 games and starting 19 of them. He averaged 13.4 points. Grimes fits the Lakers as an aggressive scorer off the bench.

Grimes didn’t do much during the first three games of this series, but after contributing 12 points and six assists in Game 4, he was able to make an even larger impact in this one. That contributed heavily to the 76ers securing the upset win in Boston to extend the series. Grimes was able to make an impact on both ends of the floor, and if he’s able to continue to contribute in Game 6, there is a strong chance this series will shift back to Boston for a Game 7.

Oubre, who logged 40 minutes in Game 3 on Friday, is dealing with a sore right adductor. If he cannot play on Sunday, Quentin Grimes is the player most likely to move into the starting lineup.

Grimes has scored 20 points in two of the last three games. The 25-year-old small forward is a glue guy off the bench for the 76ers, but has provided a lot of fantasy value whenever Tyrese Maxey has missed time.

Maxey is back after missing three weeks with a finger injury, giving the 76ers a welcome boost as they look to avoid the play-in tournament. His return pushes Quentin Grimes ot the bench, limiting Grimes’ fantasy value. There has been no word regarding a potential minutes limit for Maxey, but he doesn’t need heavy minutes to provide reliable fantasy value. VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, Dominick Barlow and Joel Embiid complete the starting five.

Sidelined since suffering a finger injury late in a March 7 loss to the Hawks, Maxey is listed as questionable for Saturday. If he’s able to return, there could be a minutes limit in place. Maxey should replace Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup once he’s able to play.