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Law Murray: Collin Sexton (lower right leg) will not make his Lakers debut tonight vs Warriors Quentin Grimes started first four preseason games. Matisse Thybulle started preseason finale Friday, in part to see Grimes in a 6Man role
Quentin Grimes, who had started the first four preseason games and had been solid in his role, was not among them. “I know that there’s a chance Quentin is gonna have an opportunity to start,” Redick said. “This was the original plan we were gonna have for the Sacramento game with Collin [Sexton] out. ... We just wanna get a look on that tonight, and we’ll see. But nothing definitive for next week.” Grimes averaged 12.3 points, 2.5 assists and shot 53.3%, including 41.2% from three-point range, in 24.3 minutes per game in the preseason.
Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Quentin Grimes on what he's learned during preseason about the Lakers: "I feel like everybody got each other's back in practice, in games, in the locker room. ... I feel like we got a lot of guys that got each other's back and that's going to be big going on a 82-game season.”
Grimes said he had a stronger connection with Redick than any other NBA head coach. “Just having him from a friend aspect, just checking in, tapping in with me,” Grimes said. “Checking the games. Asking how my people were doing, how I’m doing. I’m asking how he is doing, how is his wife doing, how are the kids doing. So, when you have that friend aspect of it and that real human aspect of it, it makes it easier to play for a coach like that. “He was the main selling point. I saw the [offensive] freedom he gave guys the last two years. Being a part of that offense will be a great opportunity for me to take my game to the next level and hopefully take my team to the next level as well.”
Grimes said Tom Thibodeau, then coach of the New York Knicks, suggested in 2023 that he reach out to Redick for career advice. That summer, Grimes sent a direct message on Instagram to the retired 15-year NBA veteran, hoping to pick up a few shooting tips. Redick responded quickly, inviting Grimes to work out at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, which featured a gym and a guest house. Redick gave Grimes his address and the guest house key location. Redick, working as an ESPN NBA analyst at the time, was playing golf when Grimes texted him to say he had arrived.
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The elephant in the room, of course, is that LeBron James’ departure to Philadelphia made it that much easier for the Lakers to build out in this sort of youthful, more-balanced manner. That was the perceived backdrop of another one of Redick’s comments from his Sept. 24 presser, when he declared that with this group, “probably the first time in my three years here, that I feel like the pieces actually fit together.” Redick, not surprisingly, felt compelled to clarify the comment. “When I said the pieces fit, that’s more about having depth, having multiple ballhandlers besides Luka and AR (in newcomers Colin Sexton and Quentin Grimes), having more shooting, more volume shooting, having an elite rim protector — the combination of all those pieces,” said Redick, whose Lakers were 10th in offensive rating and 20th in defensive rating last season when they finished fourth in the West (53-29). “And it’s having great wing defenders.
Law Murray: Asked Quentin Grimes about balancing offensive responsibilities "I know we got two of the best on-ball players in the game. So just being able to play off-ball, and also JJ wants guys who can pass, dribble, and shoot. And I feel like we have a lot of guys on this team that can do that."
Benjamin Royer: Quentin Grimes: "With Matisse, he's an All-NBA defender, has been. Ziaire has shown what he can do in the league defensively. And I’ve shown what I can do in the league defensively for a while. And I feel like when all three of us are on the court today, ... 'pick your poison.'"
Chris Mannix: "I've got a story coming, I think it's going to come out next week, where as kind of a preview, like Rob Pelinka told me like about the roster, basically it's a work in progress. He doesn't look at this roster as being a finished product, which I think is a fair assessment because they are missing some things. I think they're missing more size, a backup to Walker Kessler. I think they're missing the usual three and D guys. Like they don't really, I mean Quentin Grimes, I saw his stuff, he wants to get back to being whatever aggressive defender he once was. I'm not sure I think that's possible, or at least not the level they they need. But they are flawed."
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Jovan Buha: Quentin Grimes said he’s spoken with JJ Redick about returning to his defensive role and responsibilities from his first couple of years with the Knicks. He wants to be an intense, nasty point-of-attack defender, referencing OKC and San Antonio’s POA defenders as an example.
Dan Woike: Quentin Grimes said he 100 percent wants to start. Said he wants to fight and to earn a starting spot.
“AR had a fantastic season last year, well-deserving of the contract he got and everything,” Grimes said on 710 AM ESPN L.A. with Mason & Ireland. “He’s one of the best scorers in the NBA, probably. Walker (Kessler), you know, is one of the best rim protectors. I know he only played like four or five games last year, but everybody knows what he does. Nobody wants to go in that paint, 7’2” guy he’s going to block shots. He’s going to give us a definite advantage because people aren’t gonna go in that paint, so we can guard and put pressure on the ball even more knowing we got big Walker down in the paint holding it down. “We got guys like Collin (Sexton), a dog. (Sandro) Mamu, a dog, already getting out here and getting work in. So, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I feel like we’re going to surprise some people for sure with how good we are and clicking on all cylinders, I think.”
