NY Knicks: Is Quentin Grimes’ potential being overlooked?

NY Knicks: Is there untapped potential for Quentin Grimes’ scoring?

You’ll hear “3-level scorer” tossed around a lot in prospect descriptions – meaning guys that can score at the rim, knockdown short-area mid-range looks, and be a threat from 3-point range.

Quentin Grimes is more of a 3-level scorer than he’s given credit for.

The 3-point shooting seems locked in. Last season, Grimes knocked down 40.3% of his 3-pointers on 8.3 attempts per game — that’s high volume shooting.

The argument against Grimes being someone who can be a primary ball-handler/scorer has to do with his lack of handles. He doesn’t have a ton of moves in his bag, and he’s pretty stiff in the quickness of his legs.

Don’t get that confused with being unathletic. Grimes has some solid hops that could translate into being a nice finisher around the rim.

There seemed to be some expectation in his college career that Grimes could have point guard skills, but the lack of breaking-down-his-defender-ability seemed to derail those plans.

With all of this being said, Grimes actually has some dribble combos in his bag that can create space. He already has nice mechanics on his mid-range shots, which can’t be said for a lot of draft prospects. He gets a lot of rise on his shot.

We’ve seen perimeter players who don’t have elite handles or lateral quickness find ways to get their shots.

Klay Thompson is a great example of someone who really utilizes his strength and a few 2-3 dribble combos to get his shots 1-on-1. NY Knicks very won RJ Barrett is another player who really just uses his strength and compact moves to get to his spots.

So while Grimes falls into this “catch-&-shoot” “3&D” profile, there’s reason to believe he can grow beyond that.

I already mentioned the volume of 3-pointers he could hit, but what about the amount of 3s he created on his own? Meaning, how of his 3-pointers did he knockdown off-the-dribble? Let’s compare him to other prospects who have been labeled as elite spot-up shooters. 

• Quentin Grimes — 40.3% 3pFG — 25% unassisted
• Corey Kispert — 44.4% 3pFG — 9.9% unassisted
• Trey Murphy III — 43.4% 3pFG — 5.6% unassisted
• Kessler Edwards — 38.3% 3pFG — 6.7% unassisted

It’s not right to say Quentin Grimes is a better shooter than Kispert, Murphy III, or Edwards.

However, these numbers can indicate that Grimes may be able to become a more dynamic overall scorer down the line. 25% unassisted isn’t as high as other players in the draft, but it gives you reason to think there’s something more to his scoring.

Can the NY Knicks develop Grimes to reach his potential?