Knicks' Quentin Grimes questionable to face Wizards with wrist injury
Knicks guard Quentin Grimes looks on against the Washington Wizards during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
WASHINGTON. — It was the first minutes of the fourth quarter Wednesday night in Atlanta and with the game in the balance, Quentin Grimes was determined not to give up an easy two points, chasing down Bogdan Bogdanovic on a fast break and trying to stop the layup. But immediately, as he disrupted the shot, something was wrong. Grimes grasped at his hand and walked straight to the locker room, not stopping to let Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau know or for a trainer to examine it.
There were teammates who didn’t even realize he’d been hurt until the game was over and the rest of them made their way into the locker room. But they know now that they might have to face time without Grimes.
Grimes was diagnosed with a sprained left wrist and is listed as questionable for Friday night’s game against the Wizards. And RJ Barrett, who sat out the last two games with a migraine, remains questionable, too. Friday is the first game of a back-to-back set with the Knicks traveling to Charlotte Saturday and then finishing the five-game road trip in Minnesota Monday.
“It’s very tough and that’s unfortunate, but we have a next- man-up mentality,” Jalen Brunson said after the win over the Hawks. “Guys step up but as a team we had to step up together. We have a lot of great players on this team that can do a lot of great things. Obviously, we want Quentin to come back when he’s healthy, when he’s ready, whatever goes on, but I think for us we all know what we have to do.”
Grimes is averaging 8.1 points, but even with the early exit Wednesday he is averaging 11.5 points per game over the last two games and has connected on 7 of 14 three-point attempts.
He has seen his playing time slightly diminished with the arrival of Donte DiVincenzo. Grimes is averaging 24.7 minutes per game after playing 29.9 minutes per game last season, his first as a full-time starter.
While the Knicks can certainly make up for his absence with the contributions from DiVincenzo and Immanuel Quickley off the bench — and hopefully the return of Barrett — Grimes’ play goes beyond the numbers. He has taken on the toughest perimeter defensive assignment every game, guarding the likes of Trae Young, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell and LaMelo Ball.
“Obviously, you never want anyone to get hurt,” Josh Hart said. “But [Quickley] played great for us down the stretch, DiVincenzo] played well, so when someone goes out it’s next man up.”
The Knicks have already been starting Hart in place of Barrett and the 116-114 victory over the Hawks was the first win playing without Barrett after losing the first three. Hart played 43 minutes Monday at Boston and then 33 minutes Wednesday. But Thibodeau has indicated that Barrett is improving. He has been traveling with the team and was on the bench and in the locker room during Wednesday’s game.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
