NBA Draft 2021: Quentin Grimes would be a perfect fit for Milwaukee Bucks at No. 31

Riding high off winning their second NBA championship as a franchise, and first in a half-century, it’s challenging to turn around and all of a sudden focus on the NBA Draft for the Milwaukee Bucks. Especially considering there is no first-round draft pick for the fans to be excited about.

That being said, at pick 31, the Bucks are essentially looking at a selection as valuable as one at the end of the first round. Thus have the opportunity to pick up a useful piece to try and continue the run of success the Cream City has seen since the rise of the Greek Freak.

Having used their picks as trade bait to get the necessary pieces to win an NBA championship, now how to live with both the reality of digging for diamonds in the rough on draft night and dealing with those “rental” players who helped you to a championship now leaving. Getting value out of the draft no matter where you pick from will be of the utmost importance.

The Bucks roster is looking at potentially significant turnover this offseason at a specific part of the lineup. With Bobby Portis, Brynn Forbes, and PJ Tucker all potentially leaving in free agency for major deals, Milwaukee will all of a sudden become very shallow at a valuable position in the league. This physical defender can also shoot the ball at a good clip. Or, more commonly known now as the “3-and-D”.

Seeing major production out of all three of the pending free agents in the NBA Finals and the playoff run-up to it, the Bucks will be hard-pressed to wrangle all three of them back based on how successful the players were. Especially considering what kind of contracts they could command in the open market. While Portis and Forbes could just opt into the player option in their contracts and return, Tucker is an unrestricted free agent.

The 3-and-D has become a central and vital role player on NBA Championship teams or teams with championship aspirations. Thus, even if you lost only one of these players, getting a replacement could be very expensive.

The draft would be the most economically efficient opportunity to plug a hole in the roster, and with the 31st pick, competent players are coming out of the college ranks who can fill that hole. One player who could be the perfect combination of skill and availability is the University of Houston’s Quinten Grimes.

Grimes is coming off a solid 2021 college basketball season, where he led Houston to the Final Four and was the leader of one of the most effective and successful teams in all of college basketball. He was the AAC Player of the Year, first-team AAC, and a third-team All-American. Cementing his status as one of the premier college players in 2021.

An analytical darling of college basketball, Grimes finished his junior season last year and his second with Houston. He initially attended Kansas before transferring after just one year. Grimes served more as a point guard at Kansas, who was responsible for distribution and core playmaking, but ultimately never found his groove and departed. When he arrived at Houston and became a Cougar, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson reworked his game into a more traditional wing rather than a ball-dominant guard.

And credit to Grimes, he has worked hard to become a dominant force in the NCAA and one of the most productive players in the college ranks. He has become a reliable shooter when getting the ball in catch and shoot situations, has a quick release, and has the confidence to be a volume shooter when asked to. Grimes also has the ability to explode on offense, showing an upside that is attractive if harnessed correctly. He defends the perimeter really well, moving well, and almost most importantly contests shots consistently, which indicates a commitment to defense that many don’t have.

The downsides to his game come from his less-than-average athleticism. He’s stiff, slow, and doesn’t really threaten you when driving, so his game is limited in that sense. He also isn’t an extremely flashy passer, given his background. All these things are what really cemented him in the “not a guard” category.

The Bucks are in a position where taking a chance on a guy like Grimes makes a lot of sense for them. They are obviously happy with their NBA Championship roster and have the time and resources to work on a guy like Grimes who might not be an influential player in the immediate. But all the potential is there.

Grimes is being mock drafted in and around the 31st picks so it is likely he may be available for the Bucks to snatch up. The biggest worry is that he may not have any individual skill that will make him NBA caliber, but he does have the potential to become a very useful player. Especially on defense.

A five-star prospect out of high school who has shown a willingness to change himself if necessary and grow as a player. Taking the hard way to become the best player he can be. His commitment to the game cannot be questioned, and that sort of intangible is absolutely worth it with the 31st pick in the draft. Tie in the positional need, and suddenly, Grimes and the Bucks look like a pretty attractive matchup come draft night.