With the Knicks’ recent success, Quentin Grimes’ low production has flown under the radar. The team will need more from him to sustain it.
Since his elevation to the starting lineup back in November, Quentin Grimes has enjoyed a solid second season in his new role. With the team becoming red-hot in the last month, his play only becomes more and more valuable to the New York Knicks’ success going forward.
It has been a roller coaster of a season for Grimes to say the least. From being rumored in a trade for Donovan Mitchell to becoming a starter and playing in the Rising Stars game, he has proven the haters wrong time and time again all season long. But following the All-Star break, Grimes has had to endure a new challenge: competing for playing time with new trade acquisition Josh Hart. Averaging nearly 30 minutes a night this season, Grimes has seen that number dwindle to 24.3 since the Hart trade. As a result, his numbers have regressed, averaging 8.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, seeing less and less of the ball with other Knick guards making a leap.
Regardless of other players on the team finding success recently, Grimes’s role remains as important as ever. His ability to knock down threes at an efficient clip and play great defense against some of the best offensive players in the league is a testament to his hard work and determination. Not to mention, Grimes has one of the quickest first steps in the NBA, which puts him in a prime position to make plays for his team when given the chance. Check out this nice move in transition from the former Houston guard from the Knicks game against Charlotte on Tuesday.
Viewed as a three-and-D type of player heading into the season, Grimes has shown that he is much more than that. With a quick release and a lightning-quick first step, he has unwavering amounts of potential that has yet to translate. However, between his inexperience as a starting 2-guard combined with being misused by the coaching staff, his production hasn’t seen the light of day. Considering those things, here are a couple of ways that Grimes and the coaching staff can get the most out of him -even in limited action per game.
