Writer’s Note: This article was written directly after the New York Knicks Tuesday home game against the Charlotte Hornets.
There is no way to sugarcoat it: Quentin Grimes has not played up to par for the New York Knicks. In his last 4 games, the 23-year-old has shot 4-18 from the field and 4-14 from beyond the arc. His offensive prowess has fallen off a cliff, as only DaQuan Jeffries and Evan Fournier have a worse scoring efficiency this season. It should also be noted that Jeffries and Fournier only see the court in garbage time, so their stats are skewed. Grimes gets regular playing time and averages over 20 minutes a game as a starter. It doesn’t make sense for the Texas native to be running with the first unit. Even if he was more efficient, his offensive usage when he plays is near the bottom of the league, meaning he is not contributing to scoring plays. It was not always like this, as, in the past, New York has leaned on him as a solid scorer.
As a shooting guard and small forward, Grimes is tasked with guarding the most prolific scorers on a nightly basis, such as Devin Booker. Despite his offensive woes, the former Cougar forward has played above-average defense. His recent defensive highlight came last Sunday against the Phoenix Suns, as Booker shot 2-6 against him, his worst line against any Knick defender.
So why is Grimes starting? Looking at Tom Thibodeau’s teams as head coach, it makes sense. When the Connecticut native was head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 2010-2011, he started Keith Bogans 18 minutes per game for all 82 games. Despite running with the first unit, Bogans averaged less than 5 points per game, and the Bulls finished 62-20 that year. While many are quick to point out that prime Derrick Rose carried this squad, that shouldn’t take away from the fact that Thibodeau chose to start Bogans for his defensive prowess. However, the former NBA veteran was never an inefficient shooter. On the other hand, the reason Knick fans were so high on Grimes was his ability from beyond the arc. The combo wing has a higher defensive rating than anyone on the squad who is in line to replace him in the starting lineup. Yet, his past shooting ability indicates that his value is not as a Patrick Beverley-type defender. Instead, he’s a spot-up shooter that can impact the game in a tremendous way.
It is early in the season, so why not experiment to see which lineup is most efficient? After all, New York’s next three regular-season opponents are below .500, excluding the play-in tournament matchup that does not affect on the regular season.
If Grimes truly deserves to start, he will go out and earn it, even though he has not played like the best wing on the squad. Why not give Immanuel Quickley, a player with the highest ceiling on this Knick squad, starting minutes at the two and slide RJ Barrett to the three? The option I think makes the most sense is giving Donte DiVincenzo the starting nod. Not only, statistically speaking, is New York better off with him in the game than the former Cougar, but he is also taller than Quickley; therefore, they won’t be sacrificing height with him at the three. It should also be noted that Quickley thrives as the leader of the second unit. He is good enough to start as a point guard pretty much anywhere and gives New York a leg up on any bench in the league. Adding Grimes to that equation would get him back to his old self quicker, as he would see more shots per game and elevate New York overall.
Historically speaking, Grimes is a proven scorer. He just doesn’t have any role in the starting unit, with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle combining for over 50% of total shots among the starting five. The Texas native would benefit the team tremendously as a member of the second unit. Mostly, the level of defense played on him would decrease compared to that of a starter, meaning he would see better looks when shooting the ball. While Josh Hart can score 15 points as the backup four, he has been inconsistent in doing so up to this point. Adding Grimes as a shooting threat could space out the floor, as outside of Quickley, the second unit lacks a solid scorer. Among the starters, there are already enough shooters for New York between Barrett, Randle and Brunson.
Unless Grimes starts scoring better than Barrett, there is no reason he should stick with the starting 5. He is a great two-way talent, and if the Knicks want to see him succeed, they need to give him a more sustainable role. They cannot do what they did with Obi Toppin: sit around and do nothing. There are many parallels between Grimes and the former Dayton star. Grimes needs an opportunity to develop as a scorer and take more shots than he already is. What better way to do so than a lower-pressure environment that would benefit the team as a whole? Time is ticking because as the season progresses, the regular season games will start to matter more. These are questions that New York doesn’t want to be asking come April.