Getty Quentin Grimes of the New York Knicks grimaces after an injury to his knee in the first half against the Miami Heat.
Heading into the 2022-23 season, New York Knicks fans are eager to see how second-year guard Quentin Grimes will be utilized within Tom Thibodeau’s scheme after an offseason chock full of praise and adoration stemming from the team’s front office.
Unfortunately, the sophomore has yet to see a lick of in-game action as he’s been nursing a left foot injury for the past couple of weeks which, in turn, has all but led to Evan Fournier securing the starting shooting guard position for the upcoming campaign, considering he was already viewed as the front-runner for the role upon coming into training camp.
However, even with this recent bite from the injury bug, the potential for Grimes to receive a significant role within New York’s rotation is still rather high.
Just recently, the team’s head coach spoke of the sophomore’s ongoing recovery in a post-practice press conference on October 10 and even praised him when asked by a reporter whether his foot ailment has resulted in a “setback” in his conditioning.
“No,” Thibodeau adamantly responded to the reporter. “No one’s close to putting in the amount of work that he puts in. He’s in phenomenal shape.”
Though Fournier seems slated to take the starting two-guard slot, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Grimes will still be heavily involved within the Knicks’ scheme this year, with Thibodeau hinting in the presser that his usage could be increased, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.
Knicks Could Put Grimes’ Versatility to the Test
During the same presser, a reporter brought up Grimes’ versatility as both a scorer and a ball-handler and asked Thibodeau what he believes the guard’s “ideal role” would be moving forward with the team.
In his response, the Knicks’ head coach boasted about the 22-year-old’s offensive skill-set, and how it could wind up coming in handy for the ball club.
“Well, I think what you’re seeing is the way the league is now. There’s versatility,” Thibodeau said. “Everyone has a point guard and three wings and a big and, in a lot of cases, your wings are handling the point so it’s all really positionless basketball. So it’s, get the ball up fast, create movement, and then make the right reads.
“And, so, I think [Grimes has] benefited from having played the point in high school. You know, he’s been a primary scorer. I think the thing that’s stood out more than anything else [is that] he has a great understanding of what value shots are. His shot profile is off the charts.”
During his final season at the collegiate level in 2020-21, Grimes served as the top option in the Houston Cougar’s pecking order, leading the team in usage percentage (26.9) while posting impressive per-game averages of 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 40.3% shooting from deep.
With him leading the charge, the club managed to advance all the way to the Final Four at the 2021 NCAA tournament.
Selected 25th overall by the Knicks in the 2021 NBA Draft, despite seeing a significantly diminished role at the next level Grimes still managed to show his potential as a high-end two-way contributor, as he finished his rookie season off with averages of 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per 100 possessions on 38.1% shooting from distance.
Quickley Praises Knicks’ Big for Recent Jam
During the Q&A portion of the Knicks’ October 9 open practice at Columbia University, Obi Toppin asked teammate Immanuel Quickley what his “favorite Garden moment” was, and the guard didn’t hesitate with his response, saying that the play in which the third-year big man had executed the night before in their preseason game against the Pacers took the top spot.
“My favorite Garden moment is when you went in between the legs against the [Indiana] Pacers last night.”
The play Quickley is referring to is when the power forward pulled off a tremendous between-the-legs slam on a breakaway play that was sparked by him blocking the shot attempt of Kendall Brown on the other end late in the third quarter.