NEW YORK -- Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes has been fantastic since being acquired at the deadline from the Dallas Mavericks. He is averaging 22.0 points and shooting 48.9% from the floor and 38.4% from deep as a member of the Sixers as he has shown his ability to be more than just a shooter at this level.
He has shown an ability to put the ball on the floor and create for others while being able to get to the basket and finish. With the Sixers missing so many pieces, it has given Grimes the opportunity to show off his entire game.
Grimes began his career with the New York Knicks so coach Tom Thibodeau has a lot of familiarity with him and what he's able to do.
"He's had great moments in the league," Thibodeau said of Grimes before his Knicks knocked off the Sixers 105-91. "He’s playing, he’s got great rhythm. He can shoot the ball, he can put it on the floor, he’s dangerous in transition. He’s making good plays off the dribble, defensively, he’s terrific. Very dangerous player in the open floor."
In 2.5 seasons with the Knicks, Grimes averaged 8.6 points and shot 37.9% from deep while being a starter for most of the 2022-23 season for a Knicks team that reached Round 2 of the playoffs. He has a lot of respect for the organization and for what Thibodeau was able to do for him in his career from a development standpoint.
"We liked what he did in college a lot," Thibodeau added. "Obviously, started at Kansas and he had gone through a little bit of adversity. What he did in Houston spoke volumes as to who he is and how he can get through things. So we liked that about him. His shot profile in college was really good. We think he understood the modern game and the fact that he was a two-way player and we also thought there was great room to grow and great worker, great person too so we enjoyed that part of him."
Grimes will now look to finish strong in the final six games of the season before heading into restricted free agency with the Sixers.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Knicks' Tom Thibodeau gives thoughts on Sixers guard Quentin Grimes