3 takeaways from Knicks’ fun summer league win over Warriors

The New York Knicks kicked off the 2022 NBA Summer League on Friday night with a 101-88 win over the Golden State Warriors.

The Knicks deployed a starting lineup of Deuce McBride, Quentin Grimes, Trevor Keels, Feron Hunt, and Jericho Sims. Yes, it’s just summer league, but there’s plenty to be excited about after watching those five (and a few others) run the floor.

3 positives from the Knicks’ 101-88 2022 NBA Summer League win versus the Warriors

3: Quentin Grimes still found a way to be effective

New York’s first points of the game came off a Quentin Grimes 3-pointer, but that was the place that he struggled from most throughout the night. However, Grimes still found a way to be effective on the offensive end, further solidifying the fact that he has a real case to take Evan Fournier’s spot in the starting lineup.

Grimes finished with a team-high 24 points (8-of-21 from the field, 4-of-14 from the 3-point line), a game-high 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in 31 minutes. And he was solid on defense, too. Man, it’s going to be nice to get to watch a Jalen Brunson-Grimes backcourt.

2: Jericho Sims’ stunning athleticism

A day after Jericho Sims secured a three-year standard deal for less than $6 million, he put on a show on the floor in Vegas. His dunks were a perk of last year’s summer league run, and that trend has carried over to 2022.

The center spent most of his time above the rim, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes while shooting 87.5% (7-of-8) from the floor. He’s an absolute monster on the glass.

After the game, here’s what Grimes had to say about Sims:

And RJ Barrett echoed that sentiment on Twitter:

Fans were hoping that his two-way contract would get converted, and in case there are any doubters out there (and there shouldn’t be), Sims showcased his value against Golden State. Watching Brunson throw lobs to him (and Mitch) is going to be a lot of fun. 

1: Feron Hunt is explosive

Friday night was The Feron Hunt Show. He signed a two-way contract with New York in March and appeared in two regular-season games for the Knicks. With Tom Thibodeau sitting in the crowd, Hunt gave fans multiple reasons to believe that he’s going to get to spend more time on the court with the big guys in 2022-23.

Behind Grimes’ 24 points, Hunt had 17 points (8-of-12), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a game-high seven steals in 28 minutes. For being 6’8”, he’s quick on his feet. Even James Wiseman had to take a second to appreciate Hunt’s game.

It didn’t take much time at all for Hunt to get hot. He might be Westchester’s best-kept secret.

There are still four more glorious games of this left on New York’s summer schedule. That’ll be just enough to tide us over until October.

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