Demoted Knicks Wing Quentin Grimes Reveals Tough Conversation With Tom Thibodeau

Getty New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts during the second half against the Boston Celtics.

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau addressed Quentin Grimes’ gripes by moving him to the second unit.

“He kind of let me know to try to get me a better rhythm, get me in a better flow, try to get me how I was playing last year,” Grimes said via New York Post. “He felt like it was the best thing to do and I agree with him. It’s a good thing.”

While the demotion allowed Grimes to get his rhythm back, the Knicks still had no answer to the Boston Celtics riddle. Friday night’s 133-123 loss to the Celtics is their third defeat to the Eastern Conference favorite this season.

The Knicks slipped to 2-9 against teams with a .500 record.

But the big picture for the Knicks is to get everyone on the same page. They took a step backward in team standings but moved forward toward their playoff goal by swiftly addressing a potential turmoil.

“I’ll definitely have the ball more, knowing I’m going to get more opportunities,” said Grimes, who will be extension-eligible after this season. “It could be a better situation for me.”

Quentin Grimes’ Response

Grimes responded with his best game since scoring 17 against Milwaukee in early November. He fired 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting off the bench. It ended a seven-game streak of single-digit scoring and shot attempts.

“That [second] group played well. Quentin played well,” Thibodeau told reporters afterward.

Grimes was the last player who came off the bench, replacing Jalen Brunson with 2:14 left in the first quarter. He drilled his first attempt — a corner 3-pointer — that got his confidence going. He registered the second-highest net rating among the team with plus-12.

Now, it’s just a matter of the rejigged starting unit to get adjusted, especially on defense.

Donte DiVincenzo, Grimes’ replacement in the starting unit, struggled with six points on 3 of 6 shooting. All starters finished with a negative net rating, with their new starting backcourt of Brunson and DiVincenzo each ending up a minus-21.

“It’s problematic we got to fix our defense,” Thibodeau lamented. “It starts individually — containment of the ball, better ball pressure, better challenging shots — in every aspect.

Knicks Gearing Up for Big Trade

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Knicks are “a team to keep an eye on” as the February 8 trade deadline approaches.

“I’m told the Knicks are monitoring the marketplace across the league and keeping an eye on whether a star player becomes available and for whom they would go all in on a deal,” Charania reported.

The report came on the heels of the Knicks’ struggles against playoff-contending teams and the recent public rants of Josh Hart and Grimes about their roles this season. Both Hart and Grimes’ grievances have been addressed. But their losing against the league’s better teams continued.

The Knicks have eight tradable picks (four of their own and four from other teams) plus Evan Fournier’s expiring salary, and a slew of young players.

“Which stars will be on the market, and are the Knicks willing to meet whatever potential asking price is presented? Those are questions that’ll be answered in the coming weeks and months,” Charania wrote.