Mavericks trading Josh Green was inevitable, now the pressure's on Quentin Grimes

After four years of playing for the Dallas Mavericks, the team decided to move on from Josh Green as part of the Klay Thompson sign-and trade.

Green had some great moments as a Maverick, and he was a good role player for most of his time in Dallas, but his inconsistency and injuries over the last few years have been concerning. His game is based heavily on confidence, and it was hard for him to make an impact when he wasn't confident.

This isn't taking away from Green's outstanding hustle, but it was clear that his time in Dallas would likely be coming to an end after the team traded for Quentin Grimes. Green and Grimes have similarities in their games and Grimes now has the perfect opportunity to shine in Dallas since Green is gone. It wouldn't have made a ton of sense for the Mavs to hold onto both of them and now it's Grimes' turn to step up as an Energizer bunny off the bench.

With Green gone, Grimes has big shoes to fill

The Mavs needed more from Green during his four years in Dallas, and Grimes is going to have the chance to provide everything that Green did and more.

Last season, Grimes averaged 7.0 points while shooting 33.8 percent from downtown, and he is poised for a bounce-back year with the Mavs. He is fired up to be in Dallas, and he may have the edge over Green on both ends of the floor.

To start, Green and Grimes' shooting numbers are nearly identical. Grimes is a 37.1 percent 3-point shooter for his career while Green is a 37.5 percent 3-point shooter. Although these numbers are almost the same, the types of shots that they're taking are quite different. Grimes also shoots way more threes than Green.

Last season, Grimes averaged 1.0 attempted pull-up threes per game while Green averaged 0.2. Grimes is much more comfortable shooting off the dribble compared to Green, and his offensive game is much more versatile.

Grimes is comfortable putting the ball on the floor and his quick first step allows him to blow by defenders who are closing out and get all the way to the rim. He is a strong finisher on these drives and also has good instincts on when to dump the ball off to bigs under the rim.

Outside of his off-the-dribble scoring, Grimes is also a good shooter off the catch. He doesn't need much time to get his shot off due to his quick release and high release point and lets it fly with confidence.

Defensively, Grimes is a menace. He moves his feet well and is an elite guard defender.

Grimes is much better at navigating screens than Green was, and the Mavs will be able to rely on him to guard some of the best players in the league. He guards elite players as much as anyone in the NBA, and his frame allows him to guard up sometimes.

Standing at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Grimes can guard almost any guard in the NBA. He has the quickness to stay with shifty point guards and the strength to defend big-bodied twos and some threes.

Grimes has great hands and is never completely out of a play due to his recovery speed and tenacity. He is going to be a great fit off Dallas' bench and is going to make a bigger impact than people realize.

While Grimes has some big shoes to fill considering that Green had plenty of good stretches in Dallas, he'll be ready for it. He is excited to be back in Texas, and he is poised to become a big-time role player for one of the best teams in the Western Conference.