1. IQ Has Gained Thibodeau’s Trust
The biggest takeaway from the New York Knicks removing Kemba Walker from the starting lineup is the promotion, this essentially means, that Immanuel Quickley is receiving. Quickley was selected 25th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and his selection was one met with plenty of skepticism.
People bashed the Knicks for the pick, but he has proven all of them wrong and outperformed his draft slot. Quickley has earned all of the minutes that he receives with his excellent play on the court as Tom Thibodeau has been trusting him to close out games over Walker already.
As Tommy Beer pointed out on Twitter, Quickley has been excellent in his last 10 games. He is shooting the ball well, but most importantly, he takes care of the ball. In 1,625 career minutes, Quickley has only 77 turnovers.
The former Kentucky product has also shown that he can be a difference-maker defensively. He did well against Trae Young in the Knicks’ most recent game while everyone else struggled to slow him down.
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Defense is what Thibodeau demands from his players and to play, you have to get after it on that end of the court. Quickley does, as the team is 17.8 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court than Walker.
The future is bright for the New York Knicks and Quickley, who looks to be one of the biggest steals of the 2020 draft class.
