The Mavericks acquired young guard Quentin Grimes this offseason, providing him with a change of scenery that brings him closer to his hometown of Houston, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News writes. Grimes’ skillset is primed to help a Dallas team looking to head back to the NBA Finals.
“I feel like with the unselfishness and the amount of freedom everybody has, I’ll be able to show more like how I did in New York,” Grimes said. “Whenever somebody was down and injured, I was always able to show more of my offensive game.”
Grimes has a history of helping playoff teams. In his second season in the league with the Knicks, he averaged 11.3 points while making 66 starts. In his nine playoff appearances, he started six games and helped New York reach the second round. However, injuries and inconsistent shooting led to Grimes being traded from New York to Detroit, and he was re-routed again to Dallas this offseason.
The Mavericks got plenty of help on the wing this offseason, adding Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall alongside Grimes. Curtis writes that Thompson has taken Grimes under his wing through training camp and that the former could serve as a model for the latter.
“I’ve been trying to talk his ear off the whole time,” Grimes said of Thompson. “I shoot with him almost every day after practice. He’s just been a really good mentor for me, just telling me little things about my shot and how to get easier shots off pin-downs. They call it the “Klay action” for a reason. Just learning from one of the greatest shooters to play is going to only elevate my game.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia is one of the primary standouts of training camp, Damichael Cole of Memphis’s Commercial Appeal writes (subscriber link). The Wake Forest product was part of an up-and-down 2022 Grizzlies draft class that also included David Roddy, Kennedy Chandler and Vince Williams. LaRavia didn’t play many minutes his first season and didn’t dress much at the beginning of 2023/24, but he played 28.5 minutes across his final 24 appearances last season, averaging 14.1 points while making 36.4% of his 5.5 three-point attempts.
- Fred VanVleet was a common draft comparison for what Reed Sheppard could do in the NBA, so it’s only fitting that the two ended up on the same team. Now, as Jonathan Feigen of Houston Chronicle writes, VanVleet is serving as a mentor for the Rockets‘ rookie. “He was talking the whole time, just encouraging me,” Sheppard said. “He’s been great. A great leader and a great role model, for sure.“
- Spurs rookie No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle is turning heads this summer, Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News writes. “He never gets rushed or sped up or anything,” teammate Tre Jones said. “He goes at his own pace.” Chris Paul was also complimentary of Castle’s demeanor and how he was coached in college. For a young team looking to grow, both he and No. 9 overall pick Zach Edey have given the impression of young veterans.
- Harrison Barnes has been at the center of the Spurs‘ chemistry-building efforts this offseason, according to San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn. He’s been organizing dinners with the team and trying to lead younger players by example. “Camaraderie off the court feeds into how we play on the court,” Barnes said. “Guys have been great communicating with the group chat and with dinners we have done. That is going to bode well for us down the line.“