Two preseason games have come and gone, and with the regular season set to begin in a little over a week, New York Knicks fans have a lot to look forward to. From Jalen Brunson making his debut at MSG to Obi Toppin putting on a dunk show, the preseason has brought more excitement than was anticipated. However, one player hasn’t been able to join in on the fun.
In July, Quentin Grimes was a star at Summer League, where he averaged 22.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals in five games. There were already discussions amongst the fan base about Grimes starting in Evan Fournier’s spot, but the 22-year-old’s performance in Vegas caused that debate to be the main topic of conversation. In fact, it’s still been a hot topic, although Grimes’ status has led many to accept that Fournier will be starting on opening night.
At the beginning of training camp, Grimes was spotted in a walking boot. Tom Thibodeau said that Grimes was day-to-day with a sore left foot and he was listed as out for New York’s contests against Detroit and Indiana.
The Knicks will play their third preseason game on Wednesday, but it still hasn’t been determined if Grimes will play or not. The good news is that he went through the team’s full practice on Sunday, which means that if he doesn’t play against the Pacers, there’s a chance he could make an appearance against the Wizards on Friday.
Quentin Grimes (foot) went through all of practice today, Tom Thibodeau said. Said he wants to say where Grimes is tomorrow before making a call about his availability for Wednesday.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) October 10, 2022
Knicks’ Quentin Grimes practiced in full on Sunday and could make a preseason appearance
Following New York’s practice at Columbia on Sunday, here’s what Thibodeau had to say about Grimes possibly playing during the preseason:
"“I’m hopeful. Each day, he’s done more and more. And so there’s a progression to it,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks held an open practice in front of select fans Sunday at Columbia. “He pretty much did everything today in practice, so we’ll see how he feels [Monday]. Just follow the plan. We know what he can do.”"
If Grimes would’ve been able to participate in training camp and play in the Knicks’ first two preseason games, there’s a chance that he might be in the starting lineup on Oct. 19. Fans should be mentally preparing themselves for Fournier to keep that spot for at least the first few games, if not more. New York kept Grimes out of Donovan Mitchell trade talks, but Thibs loves his veterans, so it was unfortunate for the second-year guard to not get the opportunity to make his case in training camp and the start of preseason.
Hopefully, Grimes will be good to go for the Knicks’ game on Wednesday night in Indiana. Fans have been impatiently waiting to see him back on the court, and regardless of if he starts or not, he should see a jump in minutes this season.
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