Every season of his NBA career, New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley has surpassed expectations. When he was selected No. 25 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, many people panned New York’s selection, believing they reached for Quickley.
Infamously, the pick was graded as a D+, which has turned into a meme over the last few years. That is because Quickley has exceeded even the most ambitious of expectations that were placed on him.
Right out of the gate, the Kentucky product proved that he can be a useful part of a team’s rotation. While his efficiency was lacking as a rookie, Quickley proved he can be a sparkplug off the bench, providing instant offense. In Year 2, he took a slight step backward, but in Year 3 and thus far in Year 4, Quickley has been excellent.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks Updates
Last season, he finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year award race, losing out to Malcolm Brogdon of the Boston Celtics. It was an impressive jump in performance from Year 2, and this year, he has made another jump.
Quickley has always been a talented player with the ball in his hands as a scorer. Whether it was in the starting five or coming off the bench, he could fill it up. Thus far in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, Quickley is once again showing impressive efficiency on offense.
He is making a career-high 48 percent of his shots overall, 36.7 percent from 3-point range and 88 percent from the foul line. The mid-range shooting Quickley has provided is among the best in the NBA, as he has an excellent pull-up jumper and floater package.
The most impressive part of Quickley’s season to this point has been his improvement with the ball in his hands as a playmaker. There have been questions about how high his ceiling was, as many were not sure that he could be a successful lead guard and playmaker. Thus far this season, he is putting those doubts to rest.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks Updates
According to DJ Ace on X, formerly known as Twitter, Quickley has been elite when running pick-and-roll actions in the 2023-24 season. The effective field goal percentage of 66.9 by the Knicks in such situations puts Quickley at No. 2 in the NBA among players with at least 50 pick-and-rolls. The only player ahead of him is Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Quickley’s ascension as a pick-and-roll ball handler has helped take his impact to another level. Despite playing only 24.2 minutes per game, he is putting up career-highs with 15.3 points and 4.1 assists per game.
When the second unit checks into the game, Quickley is the clear-cut lead ball-handler. It was a role that he shared with Derrick Rose in previous seasons, but it is now solely his job and he is handling it excellently.
His ascension, along with that of RJ Barrett, has raised the Knicks’ ceiling. Even if they are unable to swing a blockbuster trade for an established star, New York is going to be a handful for opponents to deal with throughout the season.
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