Knicks: How Immanuel Quickley sparked NY’s comeback win
By Tom Piccolo
Immanuel Quickley: Defense
Trae Young was having his way with the Knicks for much of Monday night, finishing with 31 points despite only shooting 1-of-6 on three-pointers. He did much of his damage at the free throw line where he converted 12-of-15 attempts. Payton and Rivers in particular had a hard time keeping Young off the line. Granted, Quickley was only matched up on Trae for a few possessions, but during that time he made the most of it, forcing him to go 0-of-2 from the field with a turnover.
Look at Quickley’s motor and defensive intelligence on this play:
Quickley hounding Young and not falling for Trae's go-to move. pic.twitter.com/ymgqFW1Tut
— Tom Piccolo (@Tom_Piccolo) January 5, 2021
He picks up Trae full court to force him off ball and get him out of rhythm, then he chases Young around the screen without fouling from behind. Masterful stuff from the rookie.
His biggest defensive play of the game was much less understated. In fact, it was spectacular and came during a crucial moment:
Such precision here to recover from the blow-by and come up with the steal without fouling. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/ornWfVm2hg
— Tom Piccolo (@Tom_Piccolo) January 5, 2021
First, he hustles back in transition to get in front of Young (look where he starts from!). Then, with no help coming, he uses his OFF-HAND to reach around Trae’s body for a clean strip. I’ve run out of superlative words. Quickley’s combination of length, intelligence, instincts and competitive spirit have him already looking like a plus defender despite pre-draft analysts predicting he’d be too small. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?