It’s not really fair to judge Grimes just based on this season. Thibs has changed Grimes’ role this season and he isn’t expected to drive to the basket or handle the ball much. He is literally expected to catch and shoot 3’s and play lock down defense. As a result his field goal percentage at the basket is way down. He was elite at over 70% his first two seasons when he could cut to the basket and handle the ball more. He isn’t a long term starter IMO because he isn’t a volume scorer - but he is a smart player, solid shooter at the basket and from 3 and a very good defender. He could be a key reserve for a title contender. I wouldn’t give up any Nets picks for him, but I would try to move an existing player for him. He would help the Rockets win games. Defensively a backcourt off the bench of Grimes/Thompson would be elite.
If we are going to be completely honest- people want Grimes because Green has sucked. If Green was playing well no one would want Grimes except for as a bench player. At some point Udoka is going to have had enough and tell Stone to trade Green.
I find it puzzling that some posters who have been wanting to "cut bait" with Jalen Green are not willing to trade Green for Grimes.
Agree with a decent bit of this but I don’t know why that doesn’t lead you to believe he can be a long term starter. These guys started in the last 4 finals. KCP (twice), Strus, Vincent, mostly washed Love, Aaron Gordon, Wiggins, Otto Porter, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Jae Crowder (twice), PJ Tucker, Caruso, Danny Green, and Duncan Robinson. If last year’s Grimes was his real trajectory he could absolutely start on a contender depending on what the other starters looked like. He’d fit pretty well here cutting and curling off Sengun handoffs and could be a good long term backcourt partner with Amen if Amen really hit on his potential.
Grimes will be easier to maintain coming off his rookie contract. We maybe close to signing him for close to what Green makes now. Grimes providing solid play that fits our coach will change our team. A Grimes/Cam tandem works short & long term. Either one starting; but both having big roles. Obviously press for more than just Grimes as Green’s return in a trade but don’t miss the opportunity by being greedy. Green is going through a coaching / culture change —> he has value. Grimes like second base hit in baseball; solid but not a home run. Very much a winning play. This year’s Brooklyn pick (6-10} is our backup up big on a controlled contract. Stone will nail the pick because he will be draft with a purpose not potential. There are several different types of bigs to choose from at that point in the draft. FIT will happen. This is a role player’s draft loaded with foreign talent (rotation worthy players). I share this here because the pick has a lot more value than trade sweeter. Cap matters more than anything when building a team. Sengun and Smith are both max players and we still need to field a team around them for our championship run. This year’s rookie will be towards the end of his contract (hopefully out playing it) as our championship run starts. Primed Sengun, Smith and company.
It seems that he has a lot of untapped potential in his game and there is a lot of anticipation for his progress. He excels in catch-and-shoot situations, making a quick decision to either shoot, drive, or pass when he receives the ball. His first step is impressive, and he's adept at passing to teammates who cut to the basket or post players at the rim. He tends to shy away from taking charge, even though he's athletic enough to score effectively. He rarely creates shots for himself or his teammates. This is largely because he's not an offensive priority. He has an understanding of his role and sticks to it without overstepping. Defensively, when it comes to guarding opponents with the ball, he is recognized as the best on the team. He's tenacious, good on screens, and quick on his feet. However, with few steals or deflections to his name, he has yet to develop the quick hands characteristic of top defenders. He is often called for fouls, probably due to a lack of recognition by the referees, but he has a knack for stripping opponents of the ball on layup attempts.
lol, at anyone who says Green is worth more than that just because he was drafted #2 overall. He seriously sucks. He can't shoot or drive to the rim worth a crap. He has slightly improved on defense this year but that is not hard to do considering he started at zero on that end. We should take whatever we can get for him for the addition by subtraction effect. If we could land a productive player like Grimes I would be all for it.
Let me be more exact - I don't believe that Grimes will ever be an ideal starter in the NBA. The reason is that this league is a very high scoring league and Grimes is not a high volume type player. He is best at taking advantage of mismatches and being efficient by not forcing the action. These types of shooting guards are usually best utilized off the bench. Also - if Amen Thompson is going to be the point guard long term, the Rockets are going to lack a real high volume scorer in the back court... and that can be hard to overcome. To be clear, I like Grimes. He was vastly over-rated in high school. He went to Kansas and was humiliated and humbled. Rather than give up, he went and played for the one coach that was honest with him. He busted his ass, he improved as a player and became an NBA player. Even now, Grimes is doing what Thibs wants, even though it is bad for his personal development and career. I just don't think he is a big enough scorer - I am certainly not always right, I could be wrong - just my opinion and the basis for my opinion.
Grimes is taller, heavier, stronger, more mature, and a better shooter and defender than Jalen Green. He will likely always be all of those things. Right now, he would be the better fit in an Udoka system than Jalen is. Jalen still has more upside due to his age and athleticism. He's probably still considered the better prospect. I'd LOVE to have Grimes in this system, but as bad as he's been, I'm still very reluctant to give up on Jalen Green.
I thought the Knicks were adamant to avoid soft players.....and only wanted tough defensive guys like maybe Tate.
What makes you think OTE's 16 ppg is going to translate to big time scorer? Would be interested to hear. I think you are right that Grimes is probably not even scoring on Quickley level....
OTE? Overtime Elite? Amen Thompson? If you are talking about Amen Thompson, I don't know how many points he will score in his prime - but I am less concerned about it because he will have a lot of assists, turnovers and steals. Also - Amen Thompson athletically is elite, he is still shooting 75% at the rim, even without an outside shot and with defenders sagging off of him. Amen will also get a lot of points in transition. Guys with that type of athleticism, quickness, length and explosion find ways to score...
I think Grimes is just transitional solution but a decent transitional acquisition. Other folks have said it, if it were up to shooting, then Gary Trent Jr. is the better shooter and player.
Shooter? Yes. Player? Debatable. Option? No way. Gary Trent Jr. is an expiring, whereas Grimes is on his rookie deal. We can keep Grimes around pretty easily if he works out.
I can honestly see a world where Amen, Cam, and Grimes is our young backcourt rotation. All have good size. Amen fits the mold of a playmaking 1, Cam is a true offensive 2, and Grimes is a hybrid that can play with either skillset. All are on their rookie deals, so it should be possible to keep all 3 if they fit. There's just a lot that makes sense there.
Will just depend a lot on the asking price for Grimes. I don't see him as being worth a FRP in our current circumstances. I think he's probably in the Courtney Lee mold, a fairly limited player who can be either your worst starter or something like 7th man. Just don't see a whole lot of creation in his game. Not a bad piece to have on your roster by any means, but too underwhelming to give up assets that could be used in a bigger, more important trade. Sure if it's just Tate, by all means. Tate and a 2nd rounder even.
