Peter Popoff
Baba Yega in black uptowns
If my memory serves me correct, CP3 got shutdown when I think it was the bucks, forced him to go right. That was CP3, not Booker that fukked up the team.......
Jalen, RJ and Foolius are lefties. We're fukked.
"Death to the Pessimistic State of Mind" - Nas Voice: NYK '23 Pre-Season Thread
- Thread starter DPresidential
- Start date
Jalen, RJ and Foolius are lefties. We're fukked.
Knicksman20
Superstar
Peter Popoff
Baba Yega in black uptowns
If healthy, he'd pair real nice next to Brunson.
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
I don’t think he deserved to be on the list at allMan, fukk these nikkas
This is all hype/projection for a break out and trying to please Knicks fans that have called out ESPN.
Youhadasparkwhenustarted
Superstar
Rochester's Finest
He, Isaiah Stewart and Nahziah Carter had our basketball scene on their backs, they was all supposed to make the league.Nahziah
Peter Popoff
Baba Yega in black uptowns
Knicksman20
Superstar
I’ve heard RJ’s 6’6 and a half
Peter Popoff
Baba Yega in black uptowns
He looks 6'7 to me. Jordan was 6'6 though.
Knicksman20
Superstar
Why Knicks valued Quentin Grimes so highly in Donovan Mitchell trade talks
What Grimes did in a small sample size during his rookie year can’t be ignored
From all the reporting surrounding the Donovan Mitchell trade talks, a few salient facts emerged among all the noise. The key dispute was over the amount of unprotected first-round picks New York would send to the Utah Jazz. Outside of that, every Knicks player was available -- except Quentin Grimes.While there’s a ton to love about the incoming second-year player, this caught many by surprise. The Knicks drew the line at a rookie who averaged six points over half a season and not their newly-extended third overall pick RJ Barrett? In a trade that would net them an All-Star entering his prime?
There are some technical reasons behind his exclusion, like being the most cost-controlled member of the roster heading into the second year of a four-year rookie contract which will pay him roughly $2.2 million this season. But ultimately, it was what he showed on the court that made head coach Tom Thibodeau and others in the front office such staunch defenders of him in negotiations.
Though Grimes only cracked the rotation after injuries and illness decimated the roster, and missed some games himself, from around the new year on he pulled together 20 minutes a night for 32 games. It's a small sample size, but what he did in that opportunity can’t be ignored.
Grimes shot the three historically well and confidently for a rookie. Fewer than 50 rookies in the history of the game shot above 38 percent from deep on his total attempts, and just five did so on his per-36 minute volume. Grimes pulled 8.7 treys over the course of a basketball game, whether a step beyond the arc or with a defender draped on him.
Not only does his quick trigger exhibit fearlessness, but combined with the lift on his jumper makes it very difficult to fully contest. Grimes hit a remarkable 41.9 percent of his threes with a defender between two and four feet away, per NBA.com’s tracking data, matching what the eye test suggests.
Rookie year defense is almost never good, and yet Grimes was an absolute hawk, seemingly unfazed by screens, and fully aware of what Thibodeau’s system asked of him. He’s no monster athlete, yet kept up one-on-one with multiple positions deftly due to his fundamentals, effort, and strength.That’s something that separates great shooters from average 3-and-D prospects. Another key thing is making defenses pay when they chase you off the stripe.
Grimes didn’t display those skills much in his rookie year, but the Knicks are betting he will in year two and beyond, with good reason. He was a top recruit out of high school, ranked Top 10 in 2018 -- not far behind Barrett. His early college struggles and subsequent rebound left him a late first-round pick, but the talent is there.
This year’s Las Vegas Summer League offered Grimes a chance to show off his developments, and while they came in glimpses and shades, they were promising. Grimes handled the pick-and-roll exponentially better than he did in the NBA, displaying a knack for playmaking we only saw moments of up until that point. He relied on his dribble, finishing, and mid-range pull-up game more, to varying successes.
If those pieces of his game really take form, it’s understandable why the Knicks didn’t want to give him up. Mikal Bridges just earned a $90 million extension for being an elite 3-and-D-and-slightly-more guy. These ultimate plug-and-play wings are gold in the modern NBA.
Grimes can be that, if not better, depending on how the "slightly more" part comes along. One thing without question is what he brings defensively.
His help defense was tied to passing lanes more so than the painted area, but was overwhelmingly positive. While not the fastest player, he can be very quick to react and utilize his long wingspan. He led the team in steals per 100 possessions, aside rotational outliers Nerlens Noel and Cam Reddish.
Guys usually come into the league with the tools to defend well, but their IQ needs a year under their belt. Or they have an understanding of NBA defenses but are a step too slow and an inch too short. Not Grimes, who fit the part immediately, which suggests only greater successes on this end going forward.
The Knicks held their opponents to 5.7 fewer points per 100 possessions with Grimes in the game. Individually, Grimes held opposing scorers to 0.58 points per plays ending in isolations, putting him in the league’s 93rd percentile, per NBA.com play type data.
Rank the New York roster in terms of how untouchable they are and Grimes might get overlooked at first. But if what he did in year one is to be believed -- and it’s clear the team top-to-bottom believes it -- maybe there’s a valid reason they didn’t offer him up.
