The landscape of the NBA was shaken up when the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors completed a trade before the New Year. New York, looking to cement their status as one of the top teams in the Eastern Confernce, upgraded their starting lineup with the addition of OG Anunoby.
Toronto finally accepted the harsh reality of needing a rebuild. Not looking to replicate the mistake they made of holding onto Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet too long again, they parted ways with Anunoby for two building blocks in Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.
A lot of debates were had about which team came away as the winner from the trade. It is possible that both teams are winners as their outlooks have both improved since. While many people focused on the people involved in the trade, there was a trickle down effect, especially for the Knicks, that has opened the door for other players to step up.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Quentin Grimes & New York Knicks Updates
The biggest opportunity has been for point guard Miles McBride. He is being given the first crack at replacing Quickley in the rotation as the backup to Jalen Brusnon and he is making the most of his opportunities.
McBride is shooting lights out from 3-point range since being inserted into the starting lineup and provides elite point-of-attack defense. He isn’t the only second unit player who has thrived, as Quentin Grimes has also been solid.
Grimes was removed from the starting lineup in early December in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. It is a move both players have benefitted from as DiVincenzo is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA this season and Grimes has found a groove with the second unit.
When taking a deeper dive into his career with the Knicks, this breakout from the 2021 first-round pick could have been predicted. That is because whenever RJ Barrett is out of the lineup, Grimes comes to life.
As shared by The Strickland on X, formerly Twitter, Grimes has had some of his best performances when Barrett is not in the lineup. Before the Knicks’ back-to-back this weekend against the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies, Grimes averaged 14 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He was also provided elite efficiency on offense, making 47.5 percent of his shots overall and 42.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Quentin Grimes & New York Knicks Updates
The Knicks acquired Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn from the Raptors, but it can also be stated that Grimes was acquired as well. With the trade, the logjam on the wing was opened up, providing the Houston product with a more defined role in the rotation.
Grimes has showed 3-and-D potential in his career. Now that he has a set role and is looking comfortable with the second unit, we should see his production tick up in the second half of the season after a tough first half.
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