New Detroit Pistons' Quentin Grimes can't wait to add his defense, winning mindset to team
LOS ANGELES — For the University of Houston’s men’s basketball program, two players have stood out for their immense work ethic in recent seasons.
The first, Marcus Sasser, was drafted by the Detroit Pistons late in the first round of last year’s draft. The second, Quentin Grimes, was acquired by the Pistons ahead of last Thursday’s trade deadline.
The 6-foot-4 “3-and-D” wing who was drafted with the 25th pick in 2021 by the New York Knicks, was the centerpiece of last week’s deal that sent Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the Big Apple. Along with Simone Fontecchio, who had a strong debut against the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday, the Pistons have acquired a pair of wings they believe will be significant role players for the team in the seasons to come.
Grimes’ numbers this season — 7.3 points, 39.5% overall shooting, 36.3% from 3 — don’t jump off of the page. But his body of work, dating back to college and last season with the Knicks, made him a priority for Pistons general manager Troy Weaver. He’s a dogged defender and skilled at making 3-pointers off of the catch.
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The 23-year-old was a coveted asset across the NBA, and the Pistons can offer him a more substantial role than New York could.
“We’re excited about adding Grimes,” Weaver said during his media availability last Friday. “He fits the profile that we need. Doesn’t need the ball to hit shots and he defends at a high level. Great teammate. We expect him to step into a role to help support the young core. And he’s young, so he’ll continue to be part of that group. And for him to continue to grow as well. Excited to add him to the group. He was a target for us.”
Grimes is a career 37.9% outside shooter and knocked down a career-high 38.6% of his attempts last season, where he made 66 starts for a 47-win team. He also hit 64.1% of his shots inside the arc, using his quick first step to beat defenders off-the-dribble and attacking gaps with his cutting.
This season, his role decreased, as did his numbers. His finishing at the rim fell to 53% after hitting 71% of those attempts last year, according to Cleaning The Glass. His outside shooting has slumped. Offseason addition Donte DiVincenzo became the preferred wing in Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. Grimes voiced his gripes about his diminished minutes and lack of shot attempts.
He has remained stout defensively, though. Opposing teams scored 2.7 fewer points per 100 possessions when Grimes was on the floor this season. He’s a floor-raiser on that end for a Pistons team lacking good defenders at every position. There’s no DiVincenzo-equivalent in Detroit threatening his role.
“I’ve always felt like he’s one of those guys that’s trying to find that consistent path, but he has a skillset and a body type that fits the way we want to play,” Monty Williams said after Sunday’s practice at UCLA. “He can shoot the ball, he’s got a big body so defensively he can switch and guard the way that we like to. But I think there’s a lot more in his game and we want to try to figure that out. But just watching film on them when we played them and then just watching the league, I’ve admired him from afar. Just goes to show you never know who you’re going to coach and play with.”
Grimes is close with Sasser, his former teammate at Houston. And he’s encouraged by what he’s seen from the Pistons thus far. They beat the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers on the road back-to-back before going down to the wire against the Clippers Saturday. Grimes joined the team in Los Angeles before Saturday’s game and could make his debut on Tuesday against the Lakers.
“(Sasser) hit me up about an hour right after (the trade), blowing my phone up calling me, and I was telling them that we’re back at it like the U of H days, bringing back the winning like how we used to do back then,” Grimes said Sunday. “You can tell it’s a really good group of guys and that something good will be cooking up soon.
“You can tell the record isn't really indicative of how good of a team they are,” he continued later. “They compete every night, they were in the game with the Clippers. You can tell little things about the execution, just fixing that and correcting that. You can tell that the team is going to be something good. Their record isn’t an indication of the team they are, for sure.”
Grimes, in his third season, will become eligible for an extension this offseason and will otherwise enter restricted free agency in 2025. It gives the Pistons at least a season, should they choose to wait that long, to evaluate Grimes’ game.
His work ethic and skill seemingly make him a natural fit for a roster in need of shooting and defense.
“They’re really excited to get me here,” Grimes said. “They really wanted me to come here in that trade to Detroit, so I’m looking to bring that winning mindset that we had in New York, try to bring that over here and bring competitiveness, my toughness, my edge and just try to do whatever I can to keep building what coach Williams has already established so far.”
Pistons sign Tosan Evbuomwan to 10-day contract
Former Princeton standout Tosan Evbuomwan, who joined the Pistons’ summer league roster last July before signing with their G League affiliate, has been called up to the big leagues.
Evbuomwan agreed to a 10-day contract with the Pistons on Sunday, a league source confirmed to the Free Press. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists with the Motor City Cruise this season.
A versatile wing, Evbuomwan averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists as a junior for Princeton in 2022-23. He led the Tigers to the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament and became the school’s record holder for total assists in a season with 163. Evbuomwan signed a 10-day deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 30 and averaged 2.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in four appearances.
ESPN initially reported Evbuomwan's signing with the Pistons.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
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Next up: Lakers
Matchup: Pistons (8-44) at L.A. Lakers (28-26).
Tipoff: 10 p.m. Tuesday; Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WWJ-AM (950).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Quentin Grimes eager to showcase his game with Detroit Pistons
