The NY Knicks hit the jackpot when they drafted Immanuel Quickley with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
At times, Quickley has been considered to be one of the best rookies in the league and has even been in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.
The impact he’s had on the court so soon into his career has already solidified him as a key player in the Knicks’ current playoff run.
The Knicks have won games that they shouldn’t have because of IQ’s contributions to the team.
That being said, I want to make the case for why I believe he’s going to be the point guard of the future.
New York has been searching for that star facilitator to run their offense for what seems like over 20 years now.
Immanuel Quickley could be the PG NY Knicks fans have been asking for
Time and time again, they’ve tried to remedy this issue but have never found their ‘guy’.
Now that the Knicks are a legitimate contender in the East, they can go in any number of directions to solve their point guard concerns.
I’ve touched on the different options they can explore this offseason in a recent article and while I do think that longer-term fits like Lonzo Ball or perhaps Damian Lillard would be tremendous additions, the Knicks may be better off filling the hole with a temporary option while grooming Quickley to be their guy for the future.
I don’t think IQ is ready to take the reins of the offense today, nor will he be ready at any point during next season either.
But once this developmental staff gets a chance to improve some of IQ’s flaws as a primary facilitatory, it’s off to the races for the former Kentucky sharpshooter.
Here are 3 reasons why I believe Immanuel Quickley can become the Knicks’ point guard of the future.
Immanuel Quickley’s shooting has helped the NY Knicks become winners
When the Knicks drafted Immanuel Quickley, no one really knew what to think.
In fairness, the bulk of the fanbase from what I saw was a lot happier with the Obi Toppin pick at #8 over the IQ pick at #25.
This may have had a lot to do with the inevitability that Julius Randle would be traded at some point during this current season and the Knicks were drafting his replacement in Toppin.
But as far as Quickley, he was seen as a middling 2nd rounder with some upside.
Nobody saw him coming.
Soon into the pre-season, Quickley absolutely took the league by storm.
In the current season, he’s shooting 39% from deep and that’s bound to get even better over time.
For the month of April alone, Quickley has shot nearly 45% from deep on almost 4 attempts per game.
When your offense runs through bulldozers like Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, you need a playmaking, 3-point marksman on the outside to set the table for those guys as well as be available to punish the defense when either of them kicks it out to the perimeter.
Immanuel Quickley fits that description.
In 2021, players like Quickley will thrive no matter what and will always have a spot on a roster.
Even if he suddenly became bad at everything else on the basketball court, he’ll always have his ability to shoot it from deep.
Recently he’s been hitting Steph Curry-esque shots from 30+ feet out and that’s another valuable weapon he’s beginning to develop.
When players took those shots 10 years ago, they’d get benched whether they made it or not.
Today, being able to drain it from anywhere past the half-court line is becoming more and more common.
IQ will always be dangerous.
NY Knicks fans love Immanuel Quickley’s floater game
If you ask any Knicks fan what Immanuel Quickley is known for, half would probably say his shooting ability.
The other half would most definitely mention his insane floater that comes out of his hands like a Tim Wakefield knuckleball.
One of the prettiest shots in basketball and maybe one of the hardest to perfect, Quickley has one of the best in the game and the guy is just a rookie.
Meaning it’ll get better and better over time.
As I mentioned in the previous slide, players like Quickley will always have a spot in this league with just his 3-point shooting ability.
But if you want to make a real impact on the floor and become a true offensive weapon for a team, being multi-dimensional is always a plus.
Having some kind of inside scoring ability will take a player from valuable to nearly irreplaceable.
It took Coach Thibs some time to really give Quickley the minutes he deserved and to also let him do his thing on offense.
But once he started tossing up those floaters and making them at a high clip, it became difficult to keep him off the floor.
Standing at about 6’3 and 190lbs, he’s not running anyone over in the paint any time soon.
He realized that he’s not going to out-muscle anyone so he had to find a way to score efficiently and not get beat up inside.
His floater has become so good that he shoots it from all different angles and has become a big reason why defenders have to respect him no matter where he takes his shots from.
Immanuel Quickley will become a do-it-all PG for the NY Knicks soon
While Quickley is only averaging 2.1 assists on the season, he’s been passing the eye-test when it comes to his playmaking ability improving as the season has progressed.
His time learning under Derrick Rose’s wing has really helped improve his basketball IQ and offensive awareness.
In college, Quickley was forced to play more of an off-ball role due to the “superior” facilitating ability of Tyrese Maxey.
This definitely stunted his growth as a true point guard so therefore he had to develop more skills you’d see coming from a shooting guard in the NBA.
But time and time again, I see a lot of Derrick Rose in IQ’s style of offense, especially in kick-out situations.
There have been several games where I’d see Rose drive into the restricted area and then make the right read to kick out to a wide-open RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, or Reggie Bullock on the wing, just to see Quickley making those same exact reads.
Knowing when to take the shot yourself and when to get your teammates involved separates the good from the great.
Now, as far as his free-throw shooting, he’s become one of the best in the league.
On the season he’s shooting just under 90% from the charity stripe.
Having someone who can shoot it from deep off the dribble or spot up from 3, drive on you and float a meatball up over your head, and then have to worry that if you get overly aggressive when defending him, he’s barely ever going to make your foul worthwhile…
I said it once and I’ll happily say it again…
The Knicks hit the jackpot when they drafted their future starting point guard 25th overall.