Knicks' Quentin Grimes gearing up for tough task: Stopping Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Knicks guard Quentin Grimes (6) and center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, on Sunday, Dec 4, 2022. Credit: Brad Penner
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — When Quentin Grimes moved into the starting lineup earlier this season, one of the casualties of the lineup change was Derrick Rose, who found himself out of the action as he makes his way through his 15th NBA season. But now, as Grimes prepares for his first playoff appearance and facing the task of trying to slow down Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, one of the voices in his ear has been Rose.
“He’s been great,” Grimes said. “I feel like the past week and a half or so, he’s been a little more vocal. I think he kinda feels the excitement coming back, the playoffs coming around. He hasn’t been in the rotation for us. He’s been kinda one of the biggest key factors for us on the bench, talking to us, giving me tips, Jalen [Brunson] tips, whoever really kinda comes out the game. I saw him give a little something that he sees out there on the court. So he’s definitely a big reason we’ve kinda had success this year, for sure.
“Given what we’re going through, stuff out there in practice, he’s talking more. … He’s been in those situations. He knows what it takes. Having a guy like that — he’s an MVP, a Hall of Famer. You’re gonna listen to him every time he talks. So, it’s definitely gonna be something I take advantage of, for sure.”
It’s not surprising that some of the voices of experience have spoken to Grimes, who is in his second year and first as a starter. He pointed out Rose and also Julius Randle as delivering the message to him and others who have not been in the pressure cooker of a seven-game series before.
While those voices can provide some guidance, once the game begins it is Grimes who will be under the spotlight. He will attempt to avoid winding up on the wrong end of a Donovan Mitchell highlight tape — or at least forgetting that he did and moving on to the next play. When facing a player of Mitchell’s caliber, there are plays where the defender does everything right and still is left to inbound the ball.
So Grimes has been not just getting advice on how to handle the pressures of the postseason but has been studying film from his own meetings with Mitchell this season to those of other defenders who might have had a measure of success against the star player.
“Just been watching a lot of film of the past games, a lot of his games, times I’ve guarded him, some of my shots that I’ve got against him,” Grimes said. “Just watching endless film with [assistant coach Darrin Erman], some of my good clips, bad clips, some good clips of him, bad clips of him. Really just watching everything, just trying to dissect it, so when I get out there on the court, be ready for whatever he does on the court, for sure.
“I think I did pretty good the first two games, but the third game he got hot in that first quarter for sure. I was trying to make it as tough as I could for him, but he’s one of the best players in the league for a reason, made tough shots against me. But I feel like I’m going out there and trying to make it as tough as I can for him. We gotta guard him as a team, not just me, so I feel like, we got each other’s back right now so I feel like it’s gonna be a good series.”
Even with his limited resume, Grimes has faced Mitchell and that provides more knowledge to prepare.
“It helps,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But, also, it’s two-fold. Because it also helps the offensive player. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of defenders. Is one guy this? Is one guy that? And you have the things that you go to to attack those types of defenders. They’re a lot more than just Donovan. Donovan is a superstar.”
Notes & quotes: Randle’s sprained ankle status remains a mystery — and likely will until game time Saturday night. “He did parts of practice,” Thibodeau said. “He's continuing to progress. Did well overall, but still hasn’t had contact.” Thibodeau said that Randle ran at full speed, but the final decision will be whatever the medical team recommends. “That’s where you have to trust the medical staff and you trust Julius. So, between what they think, they’re the experts. Julius knows his body. Medical people, I have a lot of confidence in. We’re not gonna put him at risk. If he can go, he’ll go. We know that. He’s a gamer. If he can go, he’ll go.”
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.
