Getty
Quentin Grimes of the New York Knicks celebrates a three pointer in overtime against the Chicago Bulls.
T
he Athletic’s Boston Celtics reporter Jared Weiss was the latest NBA insider to pick New York Knicks‘ rising two-way wing Quentin Grimes as a breakout candidate next season after ESPN’s JJ Redick.
“This year is gonna be Grime time at MSG (Madison Square Garden),” Weiss said on The Athletic’s roundtable discussion. “Immanuel Quickley made the national leap last year, but Quentin Grimes has the potential to make that same ascension as he gets better attacking the rim and making decisions off the catch.”
Grimes earned the starting nod over veteran Evan Fournier last season — a move that complemented Jalen Brunson at the Knicks backcourt. Grimes was up right there on the top in the league in terms of drawing the toughest defensive matchups on a nightly basis.
Grimes’ offense had been underrated, with Julius Randle (29.5), Brunson (27.2) and RJ Barrett (26.2) ahead of him in the usage rate by a mile. Grimes’ 14.4 usage rate last season ranked 12th in the team, per Basketball Reference, as he was almost exclusively limited to spot-up jumpers. Nearly 60% of his shot profile was catch-and-shoot, according to NBA.com’s tracking stats.
Despite the circumstances that clipped Grimes’ wings during his sophomore season, Weiss believes the Knicks’ 23-year-old starting wing is due for a breakout.
“He’s a good spot-up shooter who can drive open space to throw it down and finish solidly in transition; plus, he gets buckets on a nightly basis from cutting backdoor and crashing the offensive glass. He knows how to work the floor and find a role in the offense, but there’s more creativity to unlock in his game and he should take another step forward this year,” Weiss added.
Per Bball Index, Grimes was the fourth-best sophomore player in rim shot making last season.
Quentin Grimes Picks JJ Redick’s Brain
A gym rat, Grimes used the offseason to hone his skills further, linking up with Redick, who lasted in the NBA for 15 years primarily because of his shooting manufactured through smart cuts and off-the-ball movements.
Grimes described his time with Redick to SNY’s Ian Begley as the “best two days of his summer.”
“Got in a real good workout with him, picking his brain about how he comes off pick and rolls, down screens, pin-downs, floppy action,” Grimes said. “Really, just try to take as much as I can from him and incorporate it into … this upcoming season.”
After working with Grimes, Redick gave his props to the up-and-coming Knicks shooting guard on his podcast “The Old Man & the Three.”
“Let’s assume the Knicks don’t make a trade. The guy that could potentially give them another five wins in the regular season and really really help them in the playoffs — I think as much as people talk about [Immanuel] Quickley, Quickley is awesome — is Quentin Grimes. Some improvement offensively. Some improvement in consistency in shooting the basketball. He’s highly competitive and highly energetic. He fits on that team. He fits on that roster. Quentin Grimes is another one. There you go, Knicks fans. There’s some positivity,” Redick said.
Penny for Grimes’ Thoughts
After picking Redick’s brain, Grimes went to Memphis to train with another NBA legend, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, who’s become his mentor since his pre-draft camp.
“So much knowledge to be given. So much knowledge to be taken,” Hardaway said in his Instagram post.
If Grimes, who averaged 11.3 points on a 47/39/80 shooting split, with 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.7 steals last season, makes the leap, the Knicks could become a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
Alder Almo is a basketball journalist covering the New York Knicks and Golden State Warirors for Heavy. He has more than 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
More Heavy on Knicks News
Loading more stories
