NY Knicks: Is Quentin Grimes’ potential being overlooked?

The NY Knicks will kick off Summer League on Sunday and there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the team’s rookies: Jericho Sims, Rokas Jokubaitas, Miles McBride, and Quentin Grimes.

The buzz isn’t just about the individual talent. As of now, the Knicks’ Summer League team is in a 3-way tie for the 2nd best odds to win the whole league. It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity for NY’s coaching staff to see how their young rookies look.

NY Knicks: Will Quentin Grimes thrive in the NBA Summer League?

There’s going to be a lot to analyze when New York’s draft picks take the floor, but let’s focus on the player they took first, Quentin Grimes.

During the NBA Draft, New York traded down from pick 21 to 25 and used that selection, their first of the draft, on Quentin Grimes. The 21-year-old just signed his contract with New York on Friday.

In what was a loaded draft class, it was a little disappointing to see the NY Knicks trade down. You can’t fault the process of sticking to their board, but you can, however, fault their board itself.

Kai Jones, Jalen Johnson, and Keon Johnson – the players who were taken at picks 19, 20, and 21 – were high on a lot of boards. Maybe the Knicks didn’t like them, but the Hornets, Hawks, and Clippers did.

While the player they ended up drafting, Quentin Grimes, seems to be locked into this “3&D, role player, team-guy” label, it might not be wise to fully box him into those terms just yet.

Being a 3&D role player is a positive description, but it can also be interpreted as a “low-ceiling, high-floor” player, and looking at Quentin Grimes game, that may not be the fairest profile.

It’s not a simple as “He’s still a rookie and we haven’t seen him play yet”.

It has more to do with the specifics of his game, what he’s flashed in college, and the areas he can still grow. It could be something special.

NY Knicks: Quentin Grimes’ college career

Coming out of high school, Grimes was a big-time recruit. For the class of 2018, he was ranked as the #8 player in the country by both ESPN and Rivals.

He signed with the powerhouse Kansas Jayhawks, and his college career was off to a hot start when in his first game, he dropped 21 points against the Tom Izzo-coached Michigan State. The rest of the season was up-and-down — He had his moments but was inconsistent.

He ended up starting all 36 games for the Kansas Jayhawks, and as someone who was anticipated to be a one-and-done prospect, he went through the pre-draft process for the NBA. Grimes absorbed a ton of information from NBA teams. He was projected to go somewhere in the mid-2nd round, so Grimes withdrew his name from the process.

His decision to come back to Kansas turned out to be difficult. Jayhawks coach Bill Self had expected Grimes to go into the NBA Draft and had filled his scholarship with a new recruit, so Quentin Grimes had to enter the transfer portal. He transferred to the University of Houston.

Grimes spent 2 seasons at the University of Houston and improved his numbers both years — In his final season, he averaged 17.8 points per game for the Cougars and took on the lead role of the offense that he wasn’t able to accomplish at Kansas.

Grimes’ peculiar and somewhat uncommon trajectory in the NCAA leads to some questions about his ceiling and his overall game. Could there be some untapped potential that’s waiting to be unlocked in the league?

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?

NY Knicks: What kind of player can Quentin Grimes become?

What’s great about Quentin Grimes is that he fits the bill of a player who can fit into a wide range of responsibilities.

When the NY Knicks drafted him, it looked like he could be a prominent part of the bench and potentially even start.

Fast-forward to free agency and New York re-signed Derrick Rose and Alec Burks while also bringing in Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker

So long as everyone is healthy, it’s going to be hard for Grimes to find a consistent role, and that’s fine.

The 3&D label that I keep referencing — that’s what is going to get him into NBA lineups right away. If the Knicks are short a perimeter player, Grimes can slot in and at the very least, be a complimentary spot-up shooter.

It remains to be seen just how high a level of defender he can be in the NBA, but he has some really projectible traits. I’m not sure if he can be a point-guard stopper, but he could be one of the most effective defensive players on the perimeter.

However, Grimes’ length (6’5 with a 6’8 wingspan), strength, and toughness could translate into a great wing defender. He was an effective defender in college.

It’s going to take time for the recently turned 21-year-old to develop his game further and we may not be able to see his high-end scoring potential for a couple of years. I think that’s a good thing.

Grimes can soak up everything he can from the rugged, Tom Thibodeau-led NY Knicks roster and learn how to fine-tune his game. Quentin Grimes and the Knicks’ culture seem like a match made in heaven. It could be the start of something special.