Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Quentin Grimes.
If it wasn’t clear already, the Lakers’ moves this offseason made it clear that they were heading in a new direction.
This iteration of the team, both in the present and future, will be built around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. And the moves made in the summer reflected that.
Outside of Walker Kessler, perhaps the most notable and important addition the Lakers made in the offseason was Quentin Grimes.
The 26-year-old quickly signed a 4-year, $60 million deal with Los Angeles at the start of free agency, signaling the team’s interest in the guard now and later.
Although all but confirmed, Grimes will likely slot into a critical spot next to Dončić and Reaves in the starting lineup. That designation matters and, given the results, could have ramifications for years to come.
What is his best-case scenario?
After already bouncing around the league during his young career, Grimes’ best-case scenario is playing well enough to call Los Angeles his long-term home.
In order to do that, he will have to continue to do what has made him a tantalizing talent as well has fine-tuning his game within his new ecosystem.
There is no debating that Grimes can score. Capable of filling it up at all three levels, he has the tools to capitalize on compromised defenses that load up on Dončić and Reaves in exciting ways.
That will have to begin, however, with embracing and succeeding in a more streamlined role.
While his usage, attempts and touch time may all go down, they will hopefully do so in favor of improved efficiency and shot quality.
For example, Grimes shot a pedestrian 34% from three last season when removing garbage time, heaves, etc.
On the surface, this may appear like a potential fit issue. Yet, when zooming in, there may be alterations the Lakers are uniquely suited to make that could unlock better results.
When categorizing his 3-point attempts, Grimes converted 36.6% of his catch and shoot chances compared to just 28.8% of his pull-ups last season according to NBA tracking data.
Couple this with the fact that he actually took more tightly contested threes (115) than wide-open ones (98) with the Sixers. That shouldn’t be the case with the Lakers.
If his short experience playing with Dončić in the past is any indication, improvements are a safe assumption.
When Grimes shared the floor with Dončić in Dallas, his corner 3-ball rate went up 6% (notable because he has shot over 41% from the corners four times in his five seasons as a professional) and had his best shooting year overall (41%) from deep before both were ultimately traded.
Grimes proving he can complement Dončić and Reaves will go a long way for current and future success.
One doesn’t have to squint to see how much firepower the offense can have if the talents involved click. But their ceiling may be dependent on Grimes finding the right balance of when to cook and when to let others set his plate.
What is his worst-case scenario?
While there is an outcome that sees Grimes struggle to fit into a tertiary or even fourth option role, the offensive results should be the side of the floor with more optimism.
Because the worst-case scenario for Grimes’ season with the Lakers may be due to his inability to be the type of defender the team needs.
If Kessler has the most important defensive responsibility, then Grimes may be second in that pecking order.
Sidled between the likes of Dončić and Reaves in the starting lineup, it likely will fall on Grimes’ shoulders to take on the opposing team’s best perimeter player on a nightly basis.
Even if Grimes has shown flashes of being a capable individual defender in the past, that’s a tall task for a player who has mostly graded out as an average to slightly above defender at best in his career.
That of course could change in Los Angeles. But until he proves otherwise, his defensive acumen could be what ultimately holds him back from being the long-term answer in the starting lineup.
Beyond the defense, there should also simply be skepticism about how he performs in what will be his biggest role yet.
He’s never been a standout in terms of impact data as there has only been one season in his career where his team has performed better when he was on the floor compared to off.
Context matters for any catch all stat. But it is worth questioning why he hasn’t stuck anywhere despite his unquestionable talent.
If that trend continues with the Lakers, then that could send them back to the drawing board in search of another piece to add to their core.
What is his most likely role on the team?
Given the expectations needed from him on both sides of the ball, it’s probably unfair for to think Grimes to check every box. And that ultimately may be okay.
His contract, which averages out to essentially mid-level money, could still turn out to be fair value even if his role fluctuates from decent starter to good bench player.
Grimes won’t likely be the caliber of defender the team needs, but there is genuine upside to offensive impact if he can check channel his erraticism into more organized and selective aggression.
He may not be the long-term answer, but he could still be a long-term piece. And for a team still developing their new identity, that is a more than acceptable outcome.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.
