HofstraBBall wrote:martin wrote:HofstraBBall wrote:IMHO, IQ is our starting SG.
Will give Grimes more opportunity to get things going and expand his offense on the second unit
Also feel, IQ is not a true PG and units have no flow when he is the PG.
Will never happen
Curious to read why you think that?
Believe the first unit needs someone to create off the catch
Grimes has not been able to do that.
Believe first unit needs a SG who is not afraid to put up shots.
IQ is much more aggressive and not afraid despite having starters on floor. .
We have already seen IQ in with the first unit to end many games.
Would like to see it because if you look at the top teams, their offensive success comes from having multiple guys who can catch, make a three but also drive on rotating defenses. They have a constant mechanism in place of drive, kick, rotate until they get an open look. IQ fits much better in that mold than Grimes
However, it will happen but think it will be predicated on two things. Whether IQ gets an extension from the Knicks. (Hard to see the Knicks commit that kind of money to a bench player.) And whether or not Grimes breaks out this year. Love the kid, but have not seen him improve the things, I feel, will allow him to do so.
I think that you and I would both agree that 1 preseason game has no bearing on this type of decision, right? These are typically long term team decision and individual development plans going on and they are typically done over months at a time given the type of player and circumstance. For instance, even Kemba got like 20+ games to see how he shook out and Cam got maybe 15 games to see what's there. Jericho will get preseason time to see how he is and that's it. That's typical with any sound coach; for the level of player that is Grimes or IQ, you give them all year to see how they do in their role. You can't willy-nilly change things up for players that are learning, and it is exactly what they are both still doing while also in a winning games path.
As well, when you make this types of changes, if indeed you think that Grimes is better off the bench for starter IQ, you need to be very very assured of that decision. You can't just flip the switch for a couple of weeks and then change your mind again if it doesn't work out for whatever reason. Cause that fucks with players, just the reality of that type of deicison-making.
I don't think it is a stretch to also say that we can't just make the assessment based on exactly 1 aspect of the game, right? You have pointed out 1 thing to compare when we know that that can't be the ONLY thing the coaching staff is look in at. For instance, how does it effect that starters defense? How does it effect spacing. How does it effect the time Brunson and IQ share the court and PG duties. How does having an extra SG on the bench with your other SG's of DDV, Hart come into play? How does IQ not getting PG reps effect his long term dev and play? Knicks are also wanting to develop IQ as a PG. Put IQ in as a man-to-man defender and he is less effective. Put in IQ as a spacer while taking away his PG minutes and you are making him less effective at what he does.
On your point: IQ was pretty darn aggressive with his play last night and certainly much more aggressive with the ball than Grimes was all of last year too. But that is how their roles were defined for them; it's exactly - give or take - what the staff has asked them to do. IQ is a combo guard who also plays the backup PG position, so it is natural for him to both have ball in hands and for him to force the issue going to basket; that was his job. Grimes has been asked to be a high level man-to-man defender and spacer for RJ, Randle, Brunson. Those 3 guys (along with Mitch who is hanging around the basket) need the middle of the court open for them, and that's exactly what Grimes does for them. Can IQ do that too? Sure, but that's not his main focus.
We all know Grimes needs to add that to his game, and for his dev path, that's the next step. As well, he is an infinitely better man defender than IQ as a starter. Grimes plays with RJ, Brunson, Randle; his path to getting better usage in that lineup is a slow evolve but should happen. And not for nothing, you WANT it to happen with other guys that compliment his game too. He should get better shots from the outside with those guys getting downhill to the rim. Once Grimes gets in that 40%+ range, the middle will open up for him even more but we gotta wait for that to happen.
