During the first two seasons of his NBA career, it looked like Quentin Grimes might transform into a young star. He was the New York Knicks’ starting shooting guard in the 2022-23 season, in which they secured fifth place in the Eastern Conference and won 47 games, but after that season, his influence in New York was no longer the same.

His efficiency from the field was declining as he shot just 37.2 percent from the field in his third season with the Knicks, and they decided to move on from him at the trade deadline.

New York traded him to the Detroit Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic and appeared to give up on the young guard. Injuries weren’t his friend, but the Knicks hurt the youngster before he could reach his full potential.

The Mavs took a chance on Grimes by trading the Pistons for Tim Hardaway Jr. over the summer, and his play on Wednesday night made the Knicks regret ever getting rid of him.

In 29 minutes, Grimes posted 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal while shooting 7-13 from the field and 4-8 from downtown. His energy on both ends of the pitch was palpable throughout and this was undoubtedly his best game of the season.

Grimes’ dominant performance on both ends of the court helped the Mavs to a 129-114 victory over the Knicks, and Dallas’ early defense set the tone in this game. The Mavs forced the Knicks to hit hard and fight on the glass, and Grimes played a big role in that.

Grimes got to the rim in transition, drew fouls, made it rain from downtown and got to the free throw line, and his all-around performance in this game helped propel Dallas to victory. His quick release and confidence from distance make him a dangerous threat from downtown at all times, and his strong finishing forces defenses to stay honest when defending him.

At the other end of the field, Grimes brought great energy and gave ball handlers no breathing room when defending her. He is always on top of his game when it comes to defense and he is proud of his performance in this area. He was one of the team’s best defenders this season, whether he was starting or coming off the bench.

Grimes is playing his best basketball of the season since Jason Kidd used him against the Denver Nuggets earlier this month, and he seems to be getting more comfortable in his role with each game. He has now scored in double figures in five of the last seven games, and both Jason Kidd and PJ Washington spoke briefly about Grimes’ performance after the game, and Washington specifically talked about how he may have had a little more power against his former team.

Kidd even said they were a little worried about his energy level heading into this game considering he missed Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to his illness, but he allayed those concerns early. He flew around the floor on both ends of the floor and his energy was one of his strongest attributes all season.

His willingness and enthusiastic approach to protecting NBA superstars was instilled in his game from years of playing for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, and he showed New York exactly what they were missing with his dominant performance in front of their home crowd.

Both Grimes and the Knicks have improved significantly since then, but it must feel good to dominate against the team that traded you in the middle of last season.