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Time to start paying attention to Quentin Grimes

By Colin Loughran

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /
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The New York Knicks season officially ended after last week’s 96-92 Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, the postseason run gave them a more vivid understanding of their young talent’s ceilings and floors.

More specifically, the orange and blue learned that Quentin Grimes is the kind of player with a high floor and an unknown ceiling.

Across nine postseason contests, Grimes averaged 26.9 minutes, 5.1 points, 1.0 steal, and 2.8 rebounds. In a must win Game 5 against Miami at the Garden, Grimes played all 48 minutes, scored eight points, tallied eight rebounds, and collected five dimes. The battered and bruised 23-year old stole the ball from Jimmy Butler to cap off his most vigorous playoff performance, and help cement a 112-103 win that momentarily kept New York alive.

It’s easy to criticize the Houston product’s playoff output based on his scoring numbers. Although it should be noted that he spent a great deal of his second round minutes guarding Jimmy Butler and focusing on ways to provide energy on the defensive end of the court.

“One thing about Quentin, I think he spaces the floor for us differently. But he is a two-way player,” head coach Tom Thibodeau told the New York Post after the Game 5 win. “He is a hustle player. Jimmy’s gonna make you work, and you gotta make him work. And so I thought he did as good a job as you can do.”

Grimes was one of the Knicks’ best three-point shooters during the regular season. He held the 4th best team three-point field goal percentage, and made the second most shots from behind the arc. By comparison, he only shot at a 24.3% clip from range in the playoffs.

It’s fully possible that both an increase in defensive responsibility and a worn out body contributed to Grimes’ weaker offensive play in the postseason. Experience could prove vital in helping him develop into a more complete playoff performer, and it is encouraging that he’s already shown a willingness to play feisty perimeter defense.

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Regardless if the Knicks choose to keep Quentin Grimes or include him in a larger trade package this season, it is clear that his value is far greater after a skillful postseason. At his worst, Grimes is a reliable defender. It is not yet known who he will be at his peak.

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