Quentin Grimes reminds Knicks what they’re missing in Mavericks' blowout win

Over the first two seasons of his NBA career, Quentin Grimes was looking like he could morph into a young star. He was the starting shooting guard for the New York Knicks in the 2022-23 season in which they nabbed the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and won 47 games, but after that season his impact was never the same in New York.

His efficiency from the field was down, as he shot just 37.2 percent from the field in his third season with the Knicks, and they elected to move on from him at the trade deadline.

New York traded him to the Detroit Pistons in a trade for Bojan Bogdanovic, seemingly giving up on the young guard. Injuries hadn't been his friend, but the Knicks punted on the youngster before allowing him to reach his full potential.

Grimes puts up best game of the season against New York

The Mavs took a chance on Grimes by trading the Pistons for him in a deal for Tim Hardaway Jr. over the summer, and his play on Wednesday night made the Knicks regret ever getting rid of him.

In 29 minutes, Grimes had 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal while shooting 7-13 from the field and 4-8 from downtown. His energy on both ends of the floor was evident throughout, and this was undoubtedly his best game of the season.

Grimes' dominant performance on both ends of the floor helped lead the Mavs to a 129-114 win over the Knicks, and Dallas' early defense helped set the tone in this game. The Mavs were forcing the Knicks into tough shots and fighting on the glass, and Grimes played a huge part in that.

Grimes was getting to the rim in transition, drawing fouls, making it rain from downtown, and getting to the free-throw line, and his all-around performance in this one helped lead Dallas to the win. His quick release and confidence from beyond the arc make him a threat to get hot from downtown at any time, and his strong finishing forces the defense to stay honest when defending him.

On the other end of the floor, Grimes was bringing great energy and giving ball handlers no airspace when defending them. He is always hustling on defense, and he takes pride in his performance on that end. He has been among the best defenders on the team this season, regardless of if he iss starting or coming off the bench.

Grimes is playing his best basketball of the season ever since Jason Kidd benched him against the Denver Nuggets earlier this month, and he looks more comfortable in his role every single game. He has now scored in double-digits in five of the last seven games, and both Jason Kidd and P.J. Washington briefly talked about Grimes' performance after the game, and Washington specifically talked about how he may have had some extra juice going against his former team.

Kidd even said that they were a bit concerned about his energy level going into this game considering that he missed Monday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks due to him being sick, but he shattered that concern early. He was flying all over the floor on both ends of the floor, and his energy has been one of his strongest attributes all season long.

His willingness and enthusiastic approach to guarding NBA superstars was instilled into his game from years of playing for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, and he showed New York exactly what they were missing out on in his dominant performance in front of the home crowd.

Both Grimes and the Knicks have clearly moved ob by now, but it has to feel good to dominate against the team that traded you during the middle of last season.