Nov 26, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (5) celebrates after the Phoenix Suns call a timeout in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Immanuel Quickley has shown signs of improvement over each of his four NBA seasons with the New York Knicks.
No matter how much his role with the team has fluctuated, going from role player to spot starter last year, he has been a chameleon that can blend in or stand out wherever head coach Tom Thibodeau needs him. This season, he has taken on a new role — a role he has done better than anyone else in the entire NBA: Sixth Man.
Quickley’s rise in the Knicks rotation has been one of the worst-kept secrets in the NBA. The word is out now that the young guard is a blossoming superstar and will soon demand the minutes of a starter. In the meantime, however, Quickley was the runner-up for the Sixth Man Award last year, losing to Malcolm Brogdon of the Boston Celtics.
Both Brogdon and Quickley had nearly identical numbers, with both players averaging 14.9 points per game. Brogdon had the edge in efficiency, shooting better from the field and three-point range than Quickley. Combining those factors with Boston being the No. 2 seed in the East to the Knicks coming in at No. 4, it’s no surprise why the decision was made in Brogdon’s favor.
This year again, Quickley is at the top of the pack. Coming off the bench in every game for New York thus far, the dynamic guard leads the Knicks in fourth-quarter scoring. Not only do the numbers support Quickley, but the eye test and the difference he makes on the floor cannot be understated.
“Net rating is the most important thing to me,” Thibodeau said after a 136-130 win over the Raptors Monday, “You win games in different ways… sometimes it might be your defense, sometimes it might be your offense.”
In terms of lineups that have played in double-digit games together, Quickley is…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply