Knicks rookie Quentin Grimes takes his turn at Summer League

Quentin Grimes dominates in his final Summer League game as the Knicks leave Las Vegas with serious momentum.

The New York Knicks won’t be taking home any Summer League hardware, but they showed out in a big way in Las Vegas. After beating the Atlanta Hawks 105-84, the Knicks put a bow on Summer League with a 4-2 record.

New York’s first-round pick Quentin Grimes was the star of the show on Monday night, scoring 26 points on 6-for-12 from beyond the arc. Although Grimes doesn’t love his label as a 3-and-D guy, he has the potential to be a star in that role.

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Grimes started the Summer League a bit shaky, but he averaged 23.0 points over his last three games. It’s still going to be tough for him to muscle his way into a consistent role for the Knicks this year.

New York is bringing back the majority of its roster from last season while making upgrades at point guard (Kemba Walker for Elfrid Payton) and on the wing (Evan Fournier for Reggie Bullock).

Not to mention, the rest of the young bucks on this Knicks Summer League roster had moments of brilliance as well. Nonetheless, his Summer League performance is a step in the right direction.

Everyone Shows Out in Summer League

The front office has to be thrilled with the results in Las Vegas. Most of the young players on the roster can leave Sin City with a nice confidence boost.

The Knicks experimented with Immanuel Quickley at point guard and he looked more than comfortable in that role. Although his three-pointer was inconsistent, the fact that he was dropping dimes left and right is a good sign for his versatility as a true combo guard.

Obi Toppin’s rookie season was underwhelming, but not a disaster. There are still areas of improvement for Toppin, specifically finishing through traffic in the paint. With that said, he led the team in scoring with 21 points per game.

Duece McBride was projected by some draft experts to go in the first round, but he ended up falling to the Knicks in the second. He came into Las Vegas with a massive chip on his shoulder and it showed. McBride’s relentless pursuit on the defensive end was only overshadowed by his impressive shotmaking.

Even Jericho Sims, New York’s second-round pick on a two-way contract, was a highlight machine. He’s more of a developmental prospect than the other guys on this list, but New York can afford to be patient with this high-flyer.

Odd Man Out?

Of the Knicks’ young core at Summer League, only Luca Vildoza is leaving with a sour taste in his mouth. The Argentinean point guard dealt with an injury that limited him to a handful of minutes.

Of course, Summer League is not the be-all-end-all, but Vildoza may be falling down the depth chart as Grimes and McBridepush for minutes.