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Photo Courtesy of Fanbuzz
Quentin Grimes is an enigma akin to one of my favorite players in the league, CJ McCollum. Now, before I anger any Portland fans, let me explain how this kid’s intangibles and shooting are mysterious in some ways.
The very first thing you would notice by watching Grimes is his near-perfect shooting form, as he has the proper hop, gather, and release for a devastating 3-point shot that most lethal NBA shooters have. While it is inconsistent, it’s the fact that he’s sped up his release, and increased his percentage with more attempts every year of high school that shows he most definitely has potential.
On the topic of shooting, rarely in the league do coaches want a mid-range shot, but a guy like CJ McCollum can get away with those shots. This is due to his multi-mile runs around the half court, navigating screens with his radar of a mind, which destroys NBA defenses, and a guy like Grimes follows that methodology. Grimes enjoys wearing down the defenses in a similar way, as he is absolutely lethal in off-ball actions such as elevator and floppy sets where he can use his 6-foot-5 frame, combined with that previously mentioned jumpshot to get a ton of easy points. As stated previously, it's more of a matter of how far Grimes can extend his range, as that will create driving and passing lanes for him and his teammates.
Speaking of playmaking, for a combo guard, Grimes has vision like “safer” guards such as Jose Calderon or Andre Miller, where they may not be throwing elbow passes, but they consistently make the correct and easy play. Grimes has the potential to play like this, as his incredible 3.1 Assist-to-Turnover ratio in his FIBA play showcases (albeit in a small sample) that he makes the correct pass on the regular. Combine this with his incredible finishing ability, and he is slowly developing in everyone’s eyes.
Grimes is a lethal finisher around the rim. The more you watch him, the more you notice he is deadly with both hands around the rim, nimble, and powerful in every finish he does. While Grimes does only weigh around 200 pounds, he constantly forces contact when finishing around the rim. His athleticism allows him to get up for some highlight reel dunks, and his ridiculous change-of-speed allows him to often shake defenders out their shoes. Rarely do we see a combo guard who can finish aggressively, play with and without the ball, shoot, and also be a incredible athlete.
However, Grimes does not come without weaknesses. His percentages are rather inconsistent, as in high school, he managed to be a 40-percent 3-point shooter, but in the FIBA U18 America championship, Grimes shot an abysmal 24 percent on 25 shots. This trend continues as well in the Adidas Uprising Prep Circuit (one for six from deep) or his Nike Hoop Summit performance (one for six as well), and it makes you wonder whether he really is a lethal 3-point shooter like he was in highschool.
He also is a lazy defender more times than not, despite his physical tools, as he doesn’t slide his feet all that well, and honestly seems like he couldn’t be bothered to play defense. But one could easily say it is due to his competition, and it’s difficult seeing Bill Self not pulling some type of effort out of the kid.
At the end of the day, Grimes should be a lottery pick. Combo guards who are athletic, can create for themselves (and others) with and without the ball, , and have improved every year of their careers don’t just grow on trees, as his issues of his consistency and defense are things most coaches can fix through some tough love.