The Dallas Mavericks are fresh off an electrifying 137-131 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavs were missing multiple key names including Naji Marshall, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II who was sidelined after a scary knee injury in the win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Despite missing multiple key players in last night's contest, Luka Doncic returned to the hardwood after missing over a week. Not only did Doncic deliver when the team needed him most, but he arguably had one of his best games of the season.
With Doncic on the floor, it freed up plenty of open looks for other role players to take advantage of. The Mavericks shot 50 percent from behind the arc, despite Portland's near 60 percent 3-point shooting last night. The Mavericks did just enough to squeak out an impressive win.
With Doncic running most of the offense, Quentin Grimes was able to take advantage of the lackluster Portland defense with his impressive outside shot-making ability. After Grimes' impressive season-high 28-point display, Jason Kidd's starting lineup has been called into question.
Grimes' dominance proves he deserves starting role over Thompson
It's no secret, Grimes has been on an all-time heater after providing his third straight 20-point performance. After Sunday's win in Portland, Grimes' 28 points became a season high in scoring for the first-year Maverick.
Not only did Grimes score the ball at an elite rate when the team needed it most, but he provided the Mavs with elite perimeter defense, which is something the Mavericks have sorely missed within its starting unit.
Through 21 games, Klay Thompson has had his fair share of struggles, as he is adapting to his new team. Thompson has shot the 3-ball at a career-low 36.8 percent and has had a rollercoaster impact within the offense in the 17 games he's played.
While Thompson's defense can be labeled as better than expected, his offense has failed to find its identity outside a handful of games. Grimes has proven everything Thompson has failed to be through the first quarter of the season.
To start his Mavericks career, Grimes has shot an impressive 41 percent from behind the 3-point line and has only begun to heat up over his last three games.
Grimes' 20-point streak should be a sign to Kidd that he may need to make a much-needed lineup change by swapping Grimes for Thompson.
Grimes offers way more stability on the offensive end with his ability to not only nail open shots but to create off the dribble for wide-open looks at the rim. During his three-game heater, Grimes has displayed his away-from-the-ball ability by making multiple timely cuts, which have resulted in wide-open buckets under the basket.
In addition to Grimes' off-ball movement, he has been one of the team's leading point scorers in transition. Playing faster has been something the Mavericks have desperately needed to get better at, and with Grimes on the floor, the team has a weapon who is always a threat to catch cross-court passes in transition.
Despite the starting lineup needing a clear adjustment, Kidd announced in the postgame presser that he intends to roll with Thompson as the team's fifth starter once he is healthy again.
It's unclear when Thompson will return from injury as he is dealing with left foot plantar fascia.
Even with Thompson missing time and likely getting his starting role back once he returns from injury, his time in the starting unit has begun to grow thin with his offensive struggles.
Assuming Grimes can continue to play as well as he has over the last three games in the starting lineup, his time off the bench could end up being short-lived. Kidd seems set on Thompson being the starter once he's ready to go, but Grimes could make this decision even harder if he continues to ball out.
