Know the Draftee: Quentin Grimes

The New York Knicks went into the 2021 NBA Draft with the No. 19 and 21 picks. As draft night went on, the Knicks made trades and moved back to the 25 spot. Along with accumulating additional draft picks, the Knicks landed the player they had their eyes on, Quentin Grimes.

Grimes spent his freshman season at Kansas then received an immediate transfer to play at Houston. The 21-year-old guard played a huge role for the Cougars, where the program captured the 2021 AAC Tournament championship and made the Final Four. He was the AAC co-Player of the Year (2021), First-team All-AAC (2021), and AAC Tournament MVP (2021).

Quentin Grimes, 6’5” and 210 pounds with a 6’8” wingspan, showed tremendous growth at the 2021 NBA Combine and saw his stock rise to a potential first round pick. He played with great confidence and was actively looking for his teammates. In addition, he showed he was one of the best spot up shooters in the draft. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals on 40.3 percent shooting from deep during the 2020-21 season.

Grimes detailed what he brings to the Big Apple.

“People label me a ‘3-and-D’ guy, but I feel I’m a lot more than that,” Grimes said. (h/t Marc Berman of the New York Post) “I can play pick-and-roll and make plays for me and others and can make an immediate impact shooting the ball from 3 and locking down defensively, which I pride myself on. I’ll have an immediate impact with the Knicks with my shooting ability.”

Houston had one of the top defenses in the country last season, while Quentin Grimes played a huge role on that end of the floor. He showed good defensive versatility, while being able to guard 1-3, and forced opposing players to take tough shots. Grimes is a solid and tough perimeter defender and is really active on the defensive end (uses his size and length well). He proved to be a lockdown wing defender with the Cougars and he has active feet to deny defender’s path to rim.

Quentin Grimes made strides with his perimeter game in his junior season and has NBA range. He shot 32.6 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore and saw that number increase to 40.3 percent as a junior on 8.2 attempts per game. Grimes connected on 100 threes and was one of only three players in DI to make 100 or more attempts. He has shown to be a solid catch and shoot threat, has a nice shooting stroke and quick release.

The former Houston guard is a solid rebounder for his size (5.7 rebounds per game last season), he uses his strong frame on the glass, and has a good motor to go after loose balls. Grimes took on more of an offensive role at Houston where he possessed a strong ability to finish at the rim, showed he could handle the ball, and knew when to make the right read on whether to shoot or pass to an open teammate.

Grimes started off slow in Summer League. When his shot wasn’t falling in the first three games, he told Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that he was “trying to get the jitters out.” He certainly got those jitters out in his last two games, dropping 15 points against Detroit and a game-high 28 in a win over Cleveland.

The rook had several good moments on the defensive end. Grimes played solid defense on Duane Washington Jr., kept the Pacer guard in front of him, and forced Washington Jr. to take a tough shot on this possession.

Quentin Grimes has the potential to be a strong 3-and-D player for the Knicks after shooting better than 40 percent as a junior and possessing an ability to guard multiple positions. He can fill a need for New York with his play on both ends of the floor and he might be able to make a contribution off the bench in his rookie season. Grimes showed he expanded his game in college and will continue to improve with the Knicks. He has the potential to be a solid role player at the next level.