During the first two seasons of his NBA career, Quentin Grimes looked like he could turn into a young star. He was the starting shooting guard for the New York Knicks in the 2022-2023 season, in which they grabbed the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and won 47 games, but after that season his impact was never the same in New York.

His on-court efficiency had dropped, as he shot just 37.2 percent from the field in his third season with the Knicks, and they opted to move on from him at the trade deadline.

New York traded him to the Detroit Pistons in a trade for Bojan Bogdanovic, seemingly giving up on the young guard. Injuries had not been his friend, but the Knicks punted on the youngster before he could reach his full potential.

The Mavs took a gamble on Grimes by trading for him to the Pistons in a deal 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 had 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 floor was evident 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 win over the Knicks, and Dallas’ early defense helped set the tone in this game. The Mavs forced the Knicks into tough shots and battles 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 one helped lead Dallas to the win. His quick release and confidence from beyond the arc mean he can be a threat from downtown at any time, and his strong finishing forces defenses to stay honest when they defend him.

On the other end of the floor, Grimes brought a lot of energy and didn’t give ballhandlers any airspace when defending them. He is always busy defending and he is proud of his achievements in that area. He has been one of the team’s best defenders this season, regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Grimes is playing his best basketball of the season since Jason Kidd benched him against the Denver Nuggets earlier this month, and he’s looking more comfortable in his role 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, with Washington talking specifically about how he might have had some extra juice against his former opponent . team.

Kidd even said they were a little concerned about his energy level going into this game since he missed Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to being sick, but he allayed that concern early. He flew the floor on both ends of the floor and his energy has been one of his strongest attributes all season.

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

Both Grimes and the Knicks have clearly moved up, but it must feel good to dominate against the team that traded you in the middle of last season.