The New York Knicks came up short in the 2022 NBA Summer League Championship against the Portland Trail Blazers, but the week still proved to be a strong showing for the younger players. New York finished 3-2 with both losses coming against Portland.
With a notoriously young roster, hopes were high for the Knicks in Las Vegas. New York’s starting five for all five contests was Deuce McBride, Quentin Grimes, Trevor Keels, Feron Hunt, and Jericho Sims. Grimes, McBride, and Sims were the headliners, but Hunt left his mark after being signed to a two-way contract in March.
And now that everything’s said and done, it’s time to look back at three storylines from Summer League.
3 takeaways from the Knicks’ Summer League stint in Las Vegas
3: Trevor Keels needs time to develop
Less than a month ago, Trevor Keels was preparing for the draft. And at the age of 18, he just wrapped up his first Summer League experience. Was he a phenom? No. Was he supposed to be a phenom? No.
In New York’s five games, Keels averaged 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 turnovers in 25.9 minutes while shooting 25.6% from the field and 20% from the 3-point line. One of his main critiques entering the draft was his shot.
At 6’4” with a 221-pound frame, the Duke product likes to drive into the lane, which can result in either a forced shot or an open look to a teammate. He needs to work on going with what the defense gives him instead of looking for a shot opportunity that isn’t there.
Keels is strong in transition and has a vision that allows for him to be a good passer. Spending time in Westchester on a two-way should help him tremendously. He wasn’t meant to step onto the scene and dominate.
If he doesn’t show signs of growth, then that’d be the time to step in and evaluate his game, but doing so after a few Summer League contests is pointless.
2: Deuce McBride needs to expand his offensive game
As a rookie, Deuce McBride played in 40 games and averaged 2.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, and one assist in 9.3 minutes while shooting 29.6% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc. In the games that he did play in, fans would go wild.
With Alec Burks running point guard as a non-point guard, it was hard to understand why McBride wasn’t getting more minutes on the big roster.
And in Summer League, he performed well, but his game is still limited on the offensive end. On the defensive end, he smothers opponents, which makes him and Grimes playing together a lot of fun to watch.
The 21-year-old averaged 16.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and five assists in 28.8 minutes while shooting 50% from the floor and 35.7% from deep. McBride performed well, as he was second in points per game behind Grimes, but his continued development is going to be crucial for him.
As a facilitator, McBride’s moves on offense are predictable because he doesn’t go to the left. With Jalen Brunson as the team’s new point guard and Immanuel Quickley coming off the bench (if he isn’t included in a trade for Donovan Mitchell), McBride likely won’t see a lot of time on the floor in his second season.
1: Quentin Grimes is going to be key moving forward
The obvious here is that Quentin Grimes absolutely has what it takes to be a starter for New York. However, if a trade for Donovan Mitchell goes through, the 22-year-old will likely be on his way to the Utah Jazz. And even if he isn’t and a trade still happens, Grimes is going to be overshadowed by Mitchell.
But in Summer League, Grimes proved his worth to non-Knicks fans that didn’t pay attention to the 46 games that he played in as a rookie. On Monday, it was announced that he had been named to the 2022 All-Summer League First Team.
NYK’s Quentin Grimes makes first team All-Summer League, NBA says: pic.twitter.com/zThcrRS0Q1
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 18, 2022
Sacramento’s Keegan Murray was named the MVP over Grimes, but that shouldn’t take away from how Grimes performed. He averaged 22.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and four assists in 30.1 minutes while shooting 41.4% from the field and 30.9% from the 3-point line.
Even when his shot wasn’t falling at times, he was still a force on the defensive end alongside McBride. As a 3-and-D wing, Grimes has a ton of value, which is why it’s been reported that there’s a belief that the Jazz are interested in him (subscription required).
Grimes’ Summer League performance, coupled with the promise that he showed in 2021-22, has made fans want to see him on the floor in place of Evan Fournier.
And if a trade for Mitchell doesn’t happen this summer, then Grimes should undoubtedly be the team’s starting shooting guard in 2022-23. Expect big things for him in his second year in the league.
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