MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As the soreness in Quentin Grimes’ left foot lingered, Cam Reddish got his shot.
Despite an uneven preseason, the former lottery pick was expected to be part of the second unit in Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Grizzlies, and he took full advantage.
“Cam will get the first crack at it,” coach Tom Thibodeau said before the Knicks’ 115-112 overtime loss. “He had a lot of reps in the preseason, so we’re comfortable with that.”
Reddish poured in 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He was 3-for-6 from 3-point range, including the late game-tying 3 that forced overtime.
Thibodeau said Miles McBride Jr. is another option as Grimes deals with the injury, which started at the outset of training camp. He returned to practice last week and played in the team’s final preseason game last Friday, but the discomfort returned the following day, and he hasn’t practiced since. Grimes said an MRI exam taken at the end of September only showed inflammation, and he feels close to returning to practice.
“It feels pretty good. It feels good every day, resting as much as I can with it,” Grimes said. “Getting as much treatment as I can with it, so it feels really good right now. Just have to monitor, not do too much on it so it doesn’t get too sore, stuff like that.”
Reddish shot just 6-for-28 in the preseason and had some defensive lapses, but Thibodeau insisted he was comfortable using him in games that matter.
“I just want him to get out there, be aggressive and attack. So he can score in different ways, he doesn’t have to always settle for jump shots,” Thibodeau said. “He can drive the ball, attack, make plays. He’s got good size, just get into the paint and make your rim reads, make the right play.
“The game tells you [how to play]. If you’re open, shoot it. If you’re not open, make a play, and keep the ball moving, move without the ball. He’s capable of doing those things. We love his length, we love his versatility.”
The Grizzlies were without a number of key players — such as star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (right foot), and wings Dillon Brooks (left thigh soreness), Danny Green (left knee) and Ziaire Williams (right knee soreness).
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