WATCH: Knicks’ Quentin Grimes and RJ Barrett are putting in the off-season work

The New York Knicks have built out a solid foundation of young players with upside. In the most recent draft, the front office snagged Quentin Grimes out of Houston to bolster the shooting guard position. During Summer League play, Grimes increasingly became more efficient, averaging 32.8 minutes per game and scoring 15.3.

Grimes shot 41.6% from the field and 40.7% from the three-point range, averaging nine attempts per contest. He also picked up 1.3 steals per game, 3.0 assists, and 6.3 rebounds.

Overall, he showcased his abilities as a scorer, but he is buried on the depth chart behind options like Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley. However, Grimes will be pushing for minutes during his rookie season, and if the Knicks can produce enough offensively, Grimes could pick up valuable garbage minutes toward the end of games.

Grimes has been working diligently to improve his qualities — working on shock creation and shooting form. Considering how he finished the Summer League, scoring 66 total points in the final three games, the 25th overall pick clearly has solid attributes that translate to the next level.

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Aside from Grimes, who is 21 years old, fellow teammate RJ Barrett has spent two years in the NBA is the same age. Last season, Barrett played in all 72 games despite not being old enough to buy an alcoholic beverage in New York. He averaged 17.6 points, 3.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and shot 44% from the field. He also posted a career-high 40% from downtown, attempting 4.3 per game. His effective field-goal percentage settled at nearly 50%, as Barrett feasted in the corners from three-point range.

The young shooting guard is a starting-level talent that is just hitting his stride in the NBA after building muscle mass and experience. Barrett entered the league as a skinny guard, but he’s added plenty of size and weight to take on more physical defenders and drive to the basket with authority. With superior athleticism and great defensive prowess, Barrett will only be looking to improve upon his strengths this off-season.

During Drew Hanlen’s “Pure Sweat Run” this past week, Barrett featured with some prominent names in the NBA, including Carmelo Anthony.

It is nice to see the Knicks’ young players taking this off-season seriously and continuing to put the work in to improve ahead of an important 2021–22 season. With the front office injecting more talent and funds into the bolstering of the team, the Knicks have all the potential in the world.