Gettin’ Grimey: How Quentin Grimes continues to develop as a scorer

Coming out of the draft viewed mostly as a spot-up shooter, has Quentin Grimes already flipped the script on what he’s capable of in the NBA?

An old boss approached me once and asked, “You’re a big Star Wars guy, right?” It was the second conversation we had ever had. The truth is that I don’t really like Star Wars, but this guy certainly thought I looked like I did.

Quentin Grimes is in a similar boat to what I was then. 

The scouting report from NBADraft.net spells out the kind of player Grimes projected to be at an NBA Level:

“A strongly built 6-foot-5, 210-pound wing, has the size and adequate length (6-foot-8 wingspan) to match up fine on the perimeter physically … Operates mostly as a floor spacer offensively, does the majority of his damage from beyond the 3-point line … Has NBA range and is effective coming off screens or running to open spots along the perimeter … Fits nicely as a 3-and-D prospect.”

His weaknesses per the same scouting report are even more telling about Grimes’ perceived ceiling:

“Not a shot creator, really struggles at times with creating his own offense … His in-between game needs improvement, especially considering he will have a tougher time getting to the rim off the bounce at the pro level … Really struggles to convert near the rim, even at the mid-major, so it is difficult to project him as more than just a floor spacer on offense at the NBA level.”

A look at Grimes’ efficiency by play type through the first half of his rookie season would seem to confirm what scouts believed. Grimes struggles when creating his own offense, and will live and die by how he plays off others on his team. 

(Note: I recognize the above chart does not get to 100%. NBA’s data by play type requires a minimum number of shot attempts. The key takeaway is that he clearly has a bread and butter.)

But just like I hate being pigeonholed as one type of nerd, it also feels irresponsible to put limits on a 21-year-old who hasn’t even completed a full NBA season.

Irresponsible, but also just flat-out incorrect.

From Jan. 24 to Feb. 12, Grimes started to roll out facets of his game that were thought to be out of reach by all scouting accounts. 

Every play type besides off-screen has seen an uptick in efficiency as he has introduced new layers to his offensive game. The more he got away from the scouting report on him, the more efficient he became as a scorer. 

It’s assumed that Grimes’ work ethic will pay dividends on the defensive end of the floor, but it has clearly impacted his offensive repertoire as well. Let’s take a look at the offensive moves that Grimes is developing from the first chart to the second.

The scouting report states that Grimes must rely on others to create offense for him, but since Jan. 24, there has been evidence of him developing the ability to put the ball on the floor in isolation.

While he only scores on two of the three attempts above, showing the ability to put the ball on the floor to get step-backs, midrange floaters, and layups is going to change how defenses scheme for him. Even if he just uses these moves as change-ups, it will have a positive impact on his game. Change-ups strike people out, too, you know.

The entire Knicks roster could cut more without the ball. They routinely rank near the bottom of the league in this incredibly efficient play type. However, we’re starting to see Grimes moving without the basketball lead directly to shot attempts.

If isolation scoring is his change-up, then cutting could be his screwball… or something… my baseball knowledge is limited to Ken Griffey Jr. Major League Baseball on Nintendo 64. The point is that defenses have him pegged as a spot-up shooter, and at 1.27 points per possession, opposing defenses have to respect what he does there. Catching them napping and making hard cuts will open up plenty more scoring opportunities for him.

Finally, Knicks fans have been treated to a few Grimes putback attempts over the recent stretch of games.

Adding this layer to his game has got to be the piece that is most exciting to Knicks fans and their coaching staff. Why? Because these shot attempts come purely from him outhustling every other guy on the court.

As Grimes added a more diverse array of shot attempts, his overall points per possession increased. Not knowing where he will be or what he will do with the ball once he has it obviously makes him much tougher to guard, especially in transition, which you also see in the chart above.

Put it all together and what have you got?

How’s that for not being able to finish at the rim? RJ Barrett is all of us at the end of that clip.  

Grimes is giving the Knicks exactly what you hope for from a rookie. Keep making yourself tougher to scout by adding more ways to score. Keep bringing effort and intensity every time you step on the floor. 

Grimes is showing he should be part of the Knicks' long-term plans.

The force is strong with this one, I’d say. You know… if I liked Star Wars.