2: Quentin Grimes
Quentin Grimes missed the Knicks’ first three preseason games, and he could end up missing the last one, too. He practiced in full on Monday but after practice on Tuesday, Tom Thibodeau said Grimes would be out for the team’s second match-up against Indiana.
His status for tonight’s game is still unknown, but hopefully the 22-year-old will have a chance to play alongside the four other starters. As expected, Evan Fournier and Jalen Brunson don’t complement one another, but fans have yet to see what Grimes looks like alongside Brunson.
Fournier struggles on defense, which is what Grimes excels at. During training camp, Thibodeau cited Fournier’s shooting as a positive because he helps to space the floor, but his inconsistencies do the team no favors. Let’s not forget that Fournier broke the Knicks’ single-season three-point record last year, and he’s currently the best shooter on the team, but he doesn’t help the offense flow.
Grimes likely won’t start on opening night because he’s been out, but depending on how Fournier looks, the second-year guard could find his way into the starting lineup after the first several games. But first, the focus should be to see how Grimes performs in his first outing of the 2022-23 season. Hopefully, fans will get to see that in a few hours.