PRIME GRIMES TIME
Rookie getting nod ahead of Reddish
MIAMI — Quentin Grimes’ rookie year started extremely slowly — used strictly in garbage time until early December.
But the Knicks’ 2021 first-round pick has impressed Tom Thibodeau so much with his ferocious demeanor, the shooting guard out of the University of Houston is now the coach’s choice to stay in the rotation over newcomer Cam Reddish.
Yes, the ballyhooed 2019 lottery pick out of Duke the Knicks traded for nearly two weeks ago is behind Grimes in the pecking order. Ironically, the Hawks asked for Grimes in the trade, and the Knicks said no thanks.
In a one-on-one interview with The Post at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on Monday night, Grimes said not playing early was a blessing in disguise.
“It really benefitted me,” Grimes said. “During that time period I was just staying in the gym, coming back late at nights. Thibs always told me back then: Stay ready. That time prepared me for right now. I stayed true to my work ethic, and I was ready for a night like tonight.”
The Knicks lost, 95-93, in Cleveland despite their fourth-quarter comeback, but Grimes gained what will likely be a permanent spot in the rotation going forward. Grimes keyed a comeback, from down 15 in the fourth quarter, with his 3-point shooting and rabid defense on Cleveland’s AllStar-caliber point guard Darius Garland.
“Every game I try to come in and try to play defense against someone who has it going and try to slow him down a little bit,’’ Grimes said. “Coach says I have to go in with energy and hustle.’’
With starting shooting guard Evan Fournier benched, Grimes played the entire fourth quarter. He wound up with 12 points, making four of six 3-pointers and was a team-high plus-21.
In 29 games, Grimes, selected 25th in the draft, is averaging. 5.3 point but shooting 39.7 percent from 3, which is where the large percentage of his shot attempts come from. Though he’s shooting 40.2 percent overall, his effective field-goal percentage that factors in 2-point attempts is 55.7 percent.
“It took time to just figuring out my role every time I’m on the court,” Grimes said. “I feel more comfortable. The coach has great confidence in me, offensively and defensively. He said he has great confidence every time I’m on the court. He said if you have the shot, shoot it. That’s what I try to do every time I’m on the court.”
Thibodeau made an interesting remark Monday when talking about Grimes, indicating the team can use more “tough’’ players like him. It could’ve been a shot at Fournier, the Frenchman who has hardly established himself as the closer even if he’s started all the games he has played in.
Multiple NBA insiders have told The Post across the years Thibodeau has never been a big fan of some European players, feeling sometimes they can lack a certain on-court grit.
“He plays hard on every possession,” Thibodeau said of Grimes. “There’s a physicality to him, a toughness to him. And those things are important, a competitiveness. Multiple efforts. He takes the right shots. That’s important. It’s a big part of winning. You need toughness.”
Grimes and much of the second unit became part of the Knicks’ comeback.
“It was great,” Grimes said. “This is the game you want to play in, trying to come back any way possible. We were tied. We didn’t come out with the win, but it was a learning game for me. We have to play harder for 48 minutes.”
Though Grimes is a mainstay, looking like a poor man’s Klay Thompson, Reddish could still find a pathway to playing.
If Thibodeau makes the move of pulling Kemba Walker from the rotation again and sliding Alec Burks back to stating point guard, wing minutes will open up.
“It is what it is,” Grimes said. “Cams is coming in and learning the offense. He’s trying to figure out what Thibs wants from him. He’ll be a contributor for us, but right now Thibs is playing guys he’s comfortable with. But Cam can definitely help us in the future and down the line for us to make a playoff push.”
Grimes isn’t the lone professional athlete in his immediate family. His brother, Tyler Myers, is a longtime defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks. Myers grew up with his father in Calgary while Grimes was raised in Houston with his mother.
Grimes converses with his brother often on the group chat their parents set up. They’ve arranged a family reunion Feb. 27. The Knicks have an afternoon matinee versus the 76ers with the Canucks facing the Rangers that evening.
Perfect scheduling so far for a rookie season that is starting to go perfectly.