Grimes’ 20-point outburst gave the Mavericks a spark off the bench.
When Derrick Jones Jr. decamped for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency this past summer, the Dallas Mavericks had to pivot. Jones Jr. was a key starter, giving the team an athletic two-way presence. Dallas turned around and signed two players to fill the void he left.
The Mavericks signed Naji Marshall and traded Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons for Quentin Grimes. Both transactions became official on July 6. They have played in all three preseason games, but Grimes’ performance off the bench against the Clippers on Monday stood out.
“Looking at his toughness, his ability to defend, his ability to play-make, and also knock down shots—I thought in the time that he played tonight, he was really good,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said in his postgame press conference.
Saying he was really good undersells his performance, at least when you look at the box score. Grimes finished the game with 20 points on 6-11 shooting, including three made threes, four rebounds, two assists, and a block in 22 minutes. He was the game’s leading scorer.
“I feel like I’m just getting comfortable,” Grimes said after the game. “Every day in practice, I’m getting more comfortable with the offense, with the defense, learning how certain guys like to play out there on the court. Playing with D-Live [Dereck Lively II], playing with Gaff [Daniel Gafford]. So I feel like with every game, every practice I’m getting a lot more comfortable knowing the guys and where to get my shots and when to be aggressive and when not to be.”
Grimes, 24, has bounced around the league during his short career. He played two and a half seasons with the New York Knicks before they traded him to Detroit last season, where he appeared in just six games due to a right knee contusion that caused the Pistons to shut him down for the season.
He has career averages of 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. Like Jones Jr. before him, Grimes will likely see an uptick in his per-game averages while playing alongside Luka Doncicc and Kyrie Irving. Grimes relishes this opportunity as he acclimates to his new surroundings.
“They’ve been telling me the whole time, ‘Just be ready,’ they’ll find you,” Grimes said. “Just be ready to spot up because they’ll find you no matter where you are on the court. So, I’m looking forward to playing with those guys and being ready to knock down shots, play off close-outs, and being aggressive out there.”