Quentin Grimes has played his way out of the starting lineup this season. What should the Knicks do with him?
Quentin Grimes diligently worked his way into the starting lineup for the Knicks last season. The mixture of his tough perimeter defense and his outside shooting really started to take stride and kept him on the court more. Unfortunately, Grimes’ production this season hasn’t been up to par which has led him back to the bench.
This season, Grimes is averaging only 6.2 PPG while shooting 38.9% from the field and 37.1% from the three point line. On the the hand, in the 71 games he played last season, Grimes averaged 11.3 PPG while shooting nearly 47% from the field and about 38% from behind the arc. He has not played the way he is capable of. With Donte Divincenzo replacing him in the starting lineup with good production, it might be time for the Knicks to start weighing their options.
Trade Him Away?
In the past, Grimes has been a part of some trade rumors. Recently, he’s been linked with the Bulls in packages to acquire either Zach Lavine or Demar Derozan.
It wasn’t that long ago when the Knicks made Grimes an “untouchable” piece in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes in 2022. At the time, it seemed like believing in the young guard was the right way to go. Now, his role being diminished, a deadline deal involving Grimes might not be a bad idea.
Honestly, it’s going to be hard for Grimes to get back to being a big part of the Knicks rotation. Since the signing of Divincenzo, the Knicks had to move Josh Hart to play the forwards positions just to fit Grimes in the rotation. Now that he’s been replaced and has to share minutes with Taj Gibson to make up for the lack of size, the room for him to make an impact is very limited.
A Thibs Problem?
Earlier this month, Grimes voiced his frustration with his limited role on the team.
Grimes averages close to 6 shot attempts a game with the majority of them being from the three point line. When you are a player like Grimes, getting into a rhythm is very important. The less shots he gets, the less he will be in rhythm. Also, Josh Hart recently voiced his frustrations with his shot opportunities as well. Grimes struggles can be at the fault of coach Thibodeau’s coaching. But Donte Divincenzo has been able to excel in the same role Grimes was in as a starter.
Ultimately, when the Knicks signed Divincenzo this past summer, Grimes was going to have to prove that he is the starting SG. Coach Thibodeau kept him as a starter to begin the season but it’s clear that Divincenzo has outplayed him. Thibodeau has made questionable decisions in the past but replacing Grimes with Divincenzo hasn’t been one of them.
Eventually, something will have to be done if Grimes can’t find a way to make an impact in the current rotation. Defense is his strong suit and his effort on that end will keep him active in the lineup but he needs to be effective offensively. He’s capable of doing that but has to show it. In the end, you want to see a young hard working player like Grimes maximize his potential but if that’s not happening, all options have to be put on the table. We’ll see if Grimes can turn it around.
