The Los Angeles Lakers signed Quentin Grimes in free agency to a four-year, $60 million contract to make him the fourth-highest-paid player on the team, but the forward has only started in one game so far this season, a decision that at first was surprising, but now looks like a great move by head coach JJ Redick.
Grimes hasn’t gotten off to a great start to begin his tenure with the Lakers, but while there were some major concerns about the other wings on the team’s roster, Redick’s gamble to start players like Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, and Jake LaRavia has quickly paid off.
Through Los Angeles’ first eight games of the season, the team is 6-2. While that’s in big part to Luka Doncic‘s historic start, the non-Grimes forwards have been playing great, and so far are exceeding the expectations and answering the questions many had about them heading into the year.
JJ Redick’s Starting Lineup Gamble Has Paid Off
Despite Grimes being available for all of the Lakers’ games so far, he’s only started in the one contest Doncic missed. Outside of that, he’s come off the bench, and though he ranks fourth on the team in minutes per game, it consistently looks like Redick made the right decision to start other forwards over him.
Perhaps it was due to the defensive concerns that forced Thybulle and Williams to take on starting roles. The two were deemed some of the best defenders in the NBA by Austin Reaves before the season began, and the decision to start them over Grimes and another forward continues to look like the right move for Redick.
Williams had missed a few games with an injury, and while he returned on Monday night, it was LaRavia who got the start over him. Still, both had decent showings in the 21-point win, each scoring more points than Grimes.
“But the results have been good nonetheless. In 51 minutes over four games when Williams shares the floor with the starters (Dončić, Reaves, Kessler and Matisse Thybulle), the Lakers have a 135.5 offensive rating and a 115.1 defensive rating for a 20.4 net rating. When LaRavia has been in Williams’ spot, those numbers surge to a 144.3 offensive rating, a 90.0 defensive rating and a 54.3 net rating in 37 minutes,” Connor Moreno wrote on the two Lakers’ starting lineup combinations.
“Folks, those numbers are ridiculous…Rob Pelinka and Redick’s had a clear plan this offseason, but even they may not have imagined it working this quickly and this effectively.”
After it became clear his starting lineup gambles have paid off, Redick discussed the decision that’s worked out well so far.
“I just feel like there’s balance with those lineups (with LaRavia or Williams starting),” Redick said pregame on Monday. “With Luka [Dončić] and [Austin Reaves] being the primary creators and [Walker Kessler]‘s rim rolling and running. The other guys being able to guard multiple positions. … It’s not surprising to me that Jake being in that lineup with those guys is good for us, because there’s intrinsic knowledge with what we’re trying to do. Just having another guy out there who knows our stuff has been helpful.”
Questions remain about whether this group of players can continue this hot start, but it’s been good to begin the year, so there’s no reason for Redick to change the rotation of the NBA’s top offensive rating team through the first two weeks of the season.
Lakers Need More From Quentin Grimes
While players like Thybulle, Williams, and LaRavia have all gotten their shine when placed in the starting lineup, Grimes has struggled to begin the year.
He is only averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 46.7% shooting, all of which are down from his numbers over the past few years.
Arriving as the fourth-highest-paid player on the team, there was an expectation that he’d have a big role in Los Angeles this season. So far, however, that hasn’t been the case, and while he remains important, he hasn’t been the starting small forward having the best year of his career many expected over the summer.
“The Lakers are paying Grimes $13.9 million this season, but it rises to $16.0 million in the final year. He simply isn’t returning that value. Head coach JJ Redick wanted defense in the starting five. He opted for Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams to start the year. Even with Williams out on Friday night, it was Jake LaRavia and not Grimes in the opening five,” Tyler Watts wrote.
“The Lakers are quickly finding out why they are Grimes’ fifth team in the last four years. He virtually disappeared against the Warriors for the third time in six games. Los Angeles hasn’t faced the stiffest competition, and they are just plus-one with Grimes on the floor so far this season. $60 million is looking like way too much for the production they are getting.”
None of this is to say that Grimes will continue his slow start, but the Lakers need him to raise his performance after the deal they signed him to this summer.
To be blunt, as Watts mentioned, he just hasn’t been worth the money the team paid, and that’s been clear as he remains on the outside of the Lakers’ starting lineup two weeks into the season.
The team has hope he can get back to being a more efficient and impactful player, but for the time being, Redick’s decision to pick wings like Thybulle, Williams, and LaRavia over him, despite it being shocking at first, remains to look like the smart move.
Lakers Get Great News As Shocking $60M JJ Redick Gamble Pays Off