Quentin Grimes Tops Knicks' Injury List for Opener in Memphis
Over the summer, the New York Knicks appeared to value Quentin Grimes so much that they were willing to keep him out of the ultimately futile Donovan Mitchell dealings.
He'll have to wait a little longer to prove that on a regular season stage, however.
Grimes is the only listed Knick listed on the team's injury ledger as the team prepares to face the Memphis Grizzlies in its 2022-23 season opener on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The sore left foot that ate away at Grimes' training camp/preseason affairs is the culprit, one that limited the second-year man to only one appearance in the early fall slate.
The 2022-23 season has been a revolutionary one for Grimes, whose highly successful Summer League endeavors have some Knicks supporters believing he's ready for top duties at shooting guard, though Evan Fournier has been the front-runner for those primary duties and has likely earned the start on Wednesday.
Some believed that Grimes, a first-round pick in 2021 was in prime territory to guide the Utah Jazz into their post-Mitchell rebuild but the Knicks reportedly went to great lengths to protect him. Grimes appeared in 46 games last season after arriving from Houston, averaging six points.
Despite Grimes' potential, head coach Tom Thibodeau is in "no rush" to get the sophomore back in the lineup if he's still ailing.
"If we have to be a little more patient now, that’s what we gotta do. It’s a long season so get completely healthy and then when that happens, then we move forward," Thibodeau said. "He has to get back to a certain level health-wise then he’s gotta get up to speed with what we’re doing.”
The injury ledger is a bit more crowded on the hosts' side: the Grizzlies will be missing Ziaire Williams due to right knee soreness while Danny Green and Jaren Jackson are likewise confirmed to be out while they recover from respective knee and foot surgeries. Dillon Brooks (thigh soreness) is doubtful.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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