Knicks: How Immanuel Quickley sparked NY’s comeback win

New York Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley played a key role in the team’s win over Atlanta.

With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter of the New York Knicks‘ victory over Atlanta, with the score 84-71 in the Hawks’ favor, MSG announcer Mike Breen said, “Knicks looking for some spark,” as rookie Immanuel Quickley initiated the offense.

Breen’s voice betrayed a sense of urgency, and justifiably so: he has seen enough end-of-quarter collapses to understand the importance of finishing strong and entering the fourth quarter with a manageable deficit. What followed was one of the Knicks’ best possessions of the night:

It’s simply beautiful to watch: players giving up good shots for better shots. It’s a symphony of advantages created and exploited, aided by unselfishness and ultimately a three-pointer from Quickley. As Breen had hoped, the play sparked a 13-4 run including a devastatingly savvy move from Quickley that took Atlanta completely by surprise and resulted in an easy dunk:

Quickley’s two-for-one gambit also allowed for the Knicks to get an additional possession, enabling the buzzer-beating three-pointer by Kevin Knox one possession later. That flurry cut the Hawks’ lead to just four points heading into the final period where Quickley continued to shine.

We’ll get to those fourth quarter heroics in a second, but first let’s zoom out and appreciate the fact that this rookie point guard (who few believed could even play point guard) has the confidence and poise to lead this team and deliver in crunch time only a few games into his career. Not to mention, that Thibs gave him an early hook after struggling in his first four minutes of action during the second quarter.

Quickley had the mental fortitude to overcome that slow start and finish with 16 points in just 19 minutes on 4-of-7 shooting from the field including 2-of-3 from three and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. And, in the tradition of only using single game plus/minus when it suits us, the team was a game-high +17 with Quickley on the floor.

It’s utterly remarkable the intangibles that this guy brings to the table: not just his fierce competitiveness, but as the broadcast pointed out last night, the joy with which he plays.

Let’s breakdown how he sparked the Knicks comeback win over Atlanta on Monday.

Immanuel Quickley: Passing

It might seem funny to lead with Quickley’s passing in a game where he finished with just one assist. Granted, it was perhaps the most important assist of the game:

But, his joyful, unselfish spirit is positively undeniable. You can see it refracting through his play, illuminating each of his teammates. Everybody gets some shine when Quickley is on the floor.

Take this stat, for instance: when Quickley was on the floor last night, the Knicks assisted on an astounding 77% of their made field goals, per NBA Wowy. Compare that to when Elfrid Payton was running the show when the Knicks assisted on just 50% of their made buckets.

Undoubtedly, part of it is that Quickley played alongside other ball movers, but there was a tangible difference in the Knicks’ offensive philosophy as soon as Quickley was inserted into the lineup. His energy and attitude invigorated the team which had begun to grow stale under Payton’s stewardship. His willingness to make the extra pass was contagious last night and the Knicks offense benefitted immensely as a result.

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:

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:

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?

Immanuel Quickley’s Revenge

Trae Young is a competitor, just like James Harden. Just like Chris Paul. Just like Lou Williams. These are guys who will look for any modicum of an advantage to win basketball games. If there are rules to be exploited, you better believe they will be combing through the rule book for every misplaced comma, any grey area at all. Over and over last night, you saw Trae perform questionable basketball moves in order to draw a foul and get to the line. It is tedious to watch at best, rage-inducing at worst.

Now we have one of those guys.

When it mattered most, Quickley was able to manufacture offense hitting all five of his clutch free throws in the final four minutes. Most satisfying was the foul he drew on Young for three free throws.

There was something truly poetic about the rookie tricking Young into committing the very foul from which he so often benefits. Now Knicks fans can marvel at the “craftiness” of one of our own. You still may not find that style to be all that watchable, but at least it will be more enjoyable in orange and blue.

The Knicks are off to a surprising 4-3 start, tied for their best record over the first seven games in the season since 2001. While he has been in-and-out of the lineup due to injuries, the limited time Quickley has played has been a significant reason why the Knicks have their fans excited.