Knicks’ poor roster construction has led to mounting frustration

Quentin Grimes had something to get off his chest. You could tell it had been gnawing at him, frustrating him. It had been brewing. The Knicks guard was silent or hidden from the media for a few days amid his struggles, and he emerged Tuesday night in the locker room with answers that seemed to build from the pit of his stomach.

To sum up, Grimes gave us the following:

He doesnt feel involved in the offense.

His rhythm and confidence are shaken because he rarely touches the ball.

He feels extra pressure because Tom Thibodeau will sub him out at the first sign of struggles.

If this sounds familiar, its because six other current or former Knicks players Josh Hart, Cam Reddish, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, Kemba Walker all echoed similar, if not the exact same, frustrations.

Thibodeau has received the brunt of the criticism for fostering an environment with so much discouragement, which is only partly fair. Hes a great coach but a bad communicator, an issue that got him in trouble in Minnesota and he never bothered to correct. His offense is indeed too heavy on isolation and unimaginative, leaving role players as spectators to consistent doses of dribbling and dribbling and dribbling. The Knicks havent ranked better than 28th in assists during Thibodeaus tenure, the leagues worst cumulative over four-plus seasons. Thats bad, of course. And undoubtedly annoying for players.

Knicks_poor_roster_construction_has_led_to_mounting_frustration 3Quentin Grimes said after the Knicks’ loss to the Bucks that he doesn’t feel involved in the Knicks’ offense. NBAE via Getty ImagesBut, more importantly to Grimes predicament, what else could you expect from this roster? What did the front office think would happen after signing a bunch of players with the same position and similar style?

Beyond the redundancies and deficiencies in the positional makeup, the Knicks arent exactly flush with facilitators. Jalen Brunson is a score-first point guard wholl often take several dribbles, a few pivots, and multiple looks at the hoop before passing it out. Same with Immanuel Quickley. A valid criticism of RJ Barrett, going back to college, is his tunnel vision with the ball. Julius Randle is probably the teams best facilitator, and his career assist (3.7 per game) to turnover (2.8) ratio isnt exactly impressive.

So the personnel lends itself to iso ball, and Grimes, a player labeled by this reporter as the X factor to Knicks success this season, is seeing his minutes and opportunities plummet. Some of the angst is understandable. Hes capable of so much more offensively, which we witnessed in spurts last season. Grimes is also eligible for a contract extension after the season, and players who stand in a corner tend to earn less than playmakers.

Knicks_poor_roster_construction_has_led_to_mounting_frustration 3Josh Hart recently grumbled about his role with the Knicks. NBAE via Getty ImagesIts an annoying existence to defend the oppositions top perimeter threat, only to be ignored on the other end.

Not everybody has the personality of PJ Tucker.

Its just hard when you go the whole quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it, Grimes, 23, said. So its tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game.

Knicks_poor_roster_construction_has_led_to_mounting_frustration 3Tom Thibodeau is a great coach, but a poor communicator at times, The Post’s Stefan Bondy writes. APOf course, Grimes isnt blameless. He hasnt taken advantage of his offensive chances this season, instead hesitating or treating the ball like a hot potato. Confidence may be an issue but blaming wide-open misses on the coach is a cop out.

There clearly needs to be a change, if only because the Knicks cant afford to operate with the current version of Grimes. They didnt make him untouchable in trade negotiations for Donovan Mitchell for this to happen. The first obvious solution is to make that blockbuster weve been hearing about for so long, clear out the logjam and raise the Knicks ceiling. Rose is sitting on these draft picks and the NBA universe has been waiting for him to pounce.

The more immediate resolution would be to move Grimes to the bench. Elevate DiVincenzo to starter. Perhaps the different lineup would give Grimes a role more suitable than floor spacer, bring back his confidence and the play-making parts of his game that helped carry the Knicks to the fifth-seed last season.

Its worth a try. Theyre getting nothing but frustration with Grimes now.

How many decks are used in poker?

In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).

What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?

The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.