Getty Julius Randle #30 and Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks celebrate late in the fourth quarter during game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat.
New York Knicks stars Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson expressed their sympathy to their disgruntled teammate Quentin Grimes, vowing to help him overcome this rough patch.
“He has a hard job, a tough role,” Randle said via New York Post after scoring a season-high 41 points. “But we have to do a better job of trying to get him better looks.”
Grimes, tasked to do the dirty work — defending their opponent’s best perimeter player — had seen his minutes and touches dropped amid his shooting slump.
He did a fine job defending Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, forcing him to miss 4 of 5 shots. But on the other side of the ball, he was non-existent. He missed his lone attempt — an open 3-pointer from the corner — in the third quarter.
Grimes went scoreless for the second time over his last three games. He also got benched in the fourth quarter in that span.
Jalen Brunson’s Response
After their 146-122 blowout loss to the Bucks, Grimes ranted over his lack of touches playing in the Knicks’ starting unit with three ball-dominant players in Randle, Brunson and RJ Barrett.
“It’s just hard when you go the whole quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it,” Grimes said via New York Post. “So it’s tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game. Then you got to make the shot when you shoot the ball one or two times per game. It is what it is.”
Brunson responded.
“Obviously, we have three players in the lineup who all go left, all do a lot of similar things. When it comes to Quentin, he’s going to be open, he’s going to get to do stuff,” Brunson said via New York Post. “ He’s going to get the ball so sometimes when the confidence is low it seems like the end of the world. But as teammates, we need to pick him up and make sure he gets back on track.”
Quentin Grimes’ Short Leash
Grimes is only shooting 35.8% this season. As a result, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has shortened his leash, reducing him to a token starter.
Grimes’ playing time dropped to 22.9 minutes per game from 29.9 last season. His offense — 5.8 points from a career-best 11.3 points — has come and gone this season. He only had four double-digit scoring games. Over his last seven games, he has not scored more than six points.
“It feels like if I don’t hit the shot, I’m coming out,” Grimes said via New York Post. “So every shot I shoot probably weighs like 100 pounds if I don’t make it, and our defense, it ain’t cutting it, so I know I ain’t going back in.”
Quentin Grimes on the Move?
How will the Knicks handle Grimes’ frustration?
For so long, they have resisted including him in star trade talks.
Will they change course after Grimes’ public rants?
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposed a trade idea to address Grimes’ growing discontent and the Knicks’ lack of offensive firepower to match up with the elite teams.
Knicks Receive: F DeMar DeRozan
Bulls Receive: SG Quentin Grimes, F Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected via Dallas Mavericks)
Who says no?