It was the glitch in the NBA’s scheduling that forced Tom Thibodeau to leave five of his rotation players home in New York on Tuesday rather than play in a back-to-back set a week before the start of the regular season.
They would all be back in the lineup Wednesday night as the Knicks hosted Washington. But there was an opportunity presented in Boston with Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart left out. Quentin Grimes was in the lineup and rather than the secondary role he normally takes he was given the ball. In 26 minutes, Grimes attempted 12 three-point field goals — a total he topped just twice last season and both of those were games in which he played at least 43 minutes.
“Yeah, I feel like knowing those guys are out I’m going to have a bigger role offensively,” Grimes said after the game. “Just maximizing my opportunities. Going out there, knowing I’m going to have a lot of shots, opportunities to showcase for what I do out there. So I feel like it was another night to maximize my opportunities. I feel like I did that.”
He converted seven of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc and misfired on his only attempt inside the three-point line. And it wasn’t just shots that wouldn’t translate when the team’s primary scorers return. He fired quickly and often, and one time took former Knick Kristaps Porzingis off the dribble, shooting over him.
“Whatever your circumstances are you want to make the best of your circumstances,” Thibodeau said. “That’s what you’re looking for. So I thought he and Donte [DiVincenzo] got really good rhythm together and that was important.”
While it was a chance to showcase his shooting against an elite opponent, for Grimes the job remains on the other end of the court and that, too, is a place where getting an opportunity to pair with DiVincenzo is a positive. Grimes had the task of defending the opposing team’s best perimeter threat last season once he…
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