Grimes brings a very specific set of skills that the Mavericks need
Quentin Grimes is an interesting player. He is a 6’5 guard who can defend the point of attack, is big enough not to get attacked on mismatches, and until a brief banishment to Detroit, had been a very competent shooter. Players with those skills simply aren’t cast away, yet Grimes was. The fact that the New York Knicks traded him should not be a concern as they received a proven playoff performer in Bojan Bogdonavich.
The decisions the Detroit Pistons make should simply not be weighed heavily into anyone’s decision making because every decision they make is wrong. The latest in Detroit’s colossal mistakes in giving up Grimes in the Mavericks salary dump of Tim Hardaway Jr should be the Mavericks gain. Naji Marshall will be the primary replacement for Derrick Jones Jr, but it will actually make sense for the Mavericks to replace his elite defence by committee.
Marshall should guard bigger wings, but his quick twitch athleticism leaves something to be desired against the more water-bug type guards. Kyrie Irving will defend those types of players in many playoff minutes, but it would be a mistake for the Mavericks to give him this assignment all year. Grimes will need to fill those minutes, while also providing floor spacing to allow the Mavericks elite guards and rim runners to thrive.
Biggest Question
Was the 14.3 percent Grimes shot on threes in Detroit a harbinger of a downturn in his true shooting talent?
The short answer is no. Detroit is where shooting goes to die in the NBA right now. They have perhaps the worst floor spacing in the modern NBA and appear committed to keeping it. Grimes played 115 minutes and took 28 shots in Detroit. Just ignore that sample size because it doesn’t matter.
Best Case Scenario
Grimes is the “three-and-D” compliment that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving need to perfect the Mavericks back-court. Both Doncic and Irving are capable defenders who take time off on that end due to their offensive workloads. In this scenario, Grimes takes the toughest defensive assignments while also allowing the stars to give more effort on defence by making their lives easier on offence. Grimes is capable off the bounce in addition to shooting which makes the offence less reliant on Doncic and Irving spoon-feeding everything.
Worst Case Scenario
Grimes gets lost in the log-jam. The Mavericks have too many good players for all of them to get minutes when everyone is healthy. This will take care of itself to some extent, as the Dante Exum injury news has already begun clearing the way. There is still a ton of competition for the minutes Grimes could be in line for, and it is easy to imagine a scenario where he is never able to play enough to get in a rhythm.
Season Goal
Grimes needs to be a healthy, productive member of an elite team. While doing this, he also must understand that there will be nights where he gets fewer minutes than he deserves. He will need to ensure that his father does not become a nightly distraction by going on national podcasts trashing Doncic.
Overall
Grimes is a player who brings hope for the Mavericks. But perhaps the greatest thing about him, is that the Mavericks have other options if that hope doesn’t pan out. For the past several seasons, this is the type of player the Mavericks would be counting on as a core contributor with few, if any, alternatives if he failed. This year if Grimes is unable to fulfil his potential, the Mavericks can legitimately just say, “Next man up.”