CALEB SCHERZER — Have the knicks found the future point guard of their franchise? I think so, and that man is 6-foot-3 guard Immanuel Quickley. Quickley was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 25th pick in the draft and soon after sent to the New York Knicks in a trade. Labeled a “Shooting specialist” by most scouts before the draft, Quickley has proved to be much more than a shooter, averaging 12.8 points through 37 games and surpassing many of the early expectations set for him.
Unfortunately, Quickley has been forced to perform under the shadow of Lamelo Ball, the presumptive 2021 Rookie of the Year favorite before the season even began. However, Per 36 minutes, Quickley is averaging 23.2 points for the Knicks, almost 4 more than Lamelo Ball. Many of these impressive points come from his sharp three point shot, as well as his already-developed signature shot: his floating jumper. During his Sophomore year at Kentucky, Quickley scored 63 points on his running floater, the highest mark among all players in a high-major conference. Now in the NBA, four players in the league (two of whom are Trae Young and Collin Sexton) have taken more floaters than Quickley this season.
With his midrange prowess, approximately one-third of his total attempts have come in the midrange, ranking him in the 95th percentile among combo guards, proving his impressive versatility. Quickley also has the notable ability to draw contact. Duping defenders and drawing contact is not often a skill seen in young rookies, yet his composure and self-control have proved otherwise. Quickley has exhibited dexterity similar to players like James Harden and Trae Young in getting to the line. And of course, with a free throw percentage of 90.1, the 9th in the NBA, he almost always converts his slyness into points.
Immanuel Quickley has a mixture of confidence, grit, and skill that neither Frank Ntilikina nor Elfird Payton possess. Although Quickley has yet to prove his consistency, he has already exhibited a larger array of skills than any other Knicks point guard since Jeremy Lin, and time will tell whether he will find himself a place in the starting lineup.
The Dutch Report 