NY Knicks: Could Immanuel Quickley start in Game 2?

The NY Knicks are looking to bounce back in Game 2 of their series with the Atlanta Hawks, and head coach Tom Thibodeau is seriously pondering some major adjustments.

First things first, New York is not in panic mode. We knew this was going to be a close series.

The Knicks were a possession away from winning the game with their best player having one of the worst games of his career.

That being said, in a series with two teams who are this evenly matched, you’re going to see some small lineup and matchup tweaks across the different games.

For the Knicks, their first lineup tweak might be their starting point guard.

NY Knicks: Immanuel Quickley can become a game-changer as the starting point guard

It’s a topic that has been tirelessly covered for the last few months – When are the Knicks demoting Elfrid Payton?

I was actually content with the adjustment Thibodeau made in April – The decision to continue starting Elfrid Payton while reducing his minutes.

However, the situation has recently devolved into something much worse. Payton is playing his worst basketball of the season, and the NY Knicks are 3 losses away from elimination.

I never expected Thibodeau to start someone else in Game 1, but last week I wrote how if Payton played at the same level as he had in the first game, Game 2 would be the time to make the change.

Here we are.

SNY’s Ian Begley, who was at Thibodeau’s most recent press conference, said Tuesday,

"“I’ve heard Tom Thibodeau asked dozen of questions about lineup changes over the course of this season…this answer seemed a little bit different to me…It seemed like he was saying we (The Knicks) are evaluating which players gives us the best chance to win”"

Changes may be on the horizon, and honestly, I can see the arguments for Derrick Rose or Frank Ntilikina being named the starter.

Still, Quickley is the best option. Here’s why.

NY Knicks: Immanuel Quickley can seamlessly fit in with the starters

The role the Knicks would be asking Quickley to step into isn’t one where he’s the center of the playmaking hub – that’s Julius Randle.

Still, Quickley can be more than someone who just brings the ball up the court. We know how big of a catch-and-shoot threat he is.

Quickley is a shot creator, and we’ve seen him shoot plenty of difficult jumpers from creating offense on his own. Can you imagine him as one of the catch-and-shoot snipers the Knicks love to deploy around Randle?

RJ Barrett, Bullock, and Quickley running around the perimeter to start the game?

Immanuel Quickley shoots 46.6% on catch-and-shoot 3s. It’s why I’m so bullish about his potential as a high-level NBA scorer: He’s a much better shooter than what his traditional shooting splits may look like.

Having Immanuel Quickley running with the starters at the beginning of the halves will give the halfcourt offense even more room to breathe, something they don’t have with Payton, who is a nonfactor as a floor-spacer.

He’s a rookie, but he’s not just any rookie. If we’re going off of who looked the most composed and ready for the intense MSG environment, Quickley’s name is in the conversation. He looked like a playoff veteran.

Quickley took what the defense gave him, put up smart shots, dished out 3 assists, and brought a ton of energy that became a big reason for the NY Knicks climbing back into the game in the 2nd quarter.

Can he stop Trae Young?

There’s no “Trae Young stopper”. Still, the Knicks can do a much better job at making life difficult more difficult for the Hawks’ point guard, both on offense and defense.

Quickley doesn’t have any sort of “shutdown defender” moniker attached to his name but with his lateral quickness and 6’8 wingspan, he can be a lot more bothersome of a defender than Elfrid Payton.

Not to mention, having Quickley in to start the game puts even more pressure on Young as a defender. He can be exposed on that end of the floor.

While the case for Elfrid Payton to be the starter is nonexistent, there are certainly arguments as to why Derrick Rose should get the role, or even why Frank Ntilikina could step into the starting slot.

I believe that right now, Quickley would fit into the starting lineup more seamlessly than anyone else on the Knicks without disrupting the rest of the rotation.

NY Knicks: Why Immanuel Quickley makes the most sense as the starter

I mentioned how prior to Elfrid Payton’s accelerated plummet into the depths of horrendous basketball that began in the month of May, I was actually fine with his decreased role as the starter.

The NY Knicks have had a great thing going for them with their 2nd unit.

Burks, Rose, Quickley, and Toppin bring such a drastically different brand of basketball than the starters that’s been a nightmare to defend for opponents

In April, Rose began playing an increased role where he ran with the starters at the end of the games while Payton simply started the halves. It kept the 2nd unit ecosystem intact.

Here we are down 0-1, without homecourt advantage, and this team has no choice but to shake up their rotation.

I believe that putting Immanuel Quickley in as the starter not only revamps the lineup to open the halves but also shouldn’t mess up the cohesiveness of the 2nd unit.

Having Derrick Rose coming off the bench has been perfect for the NY Knicks. Aside from his scoring and slashing, he’s a veteran presence who can set up the offense for the 2nd unit. He was a finalist for 6th Man of The Year – it’s a role he’s thrived in.

Derrick Rose and Alec Burks can hold down the initial scoring from the bench.

Not only that, but Rose is already playing heavy minutes. Quickley can simply just take Elfrid Payton’s minutes.

Payton only played 8 minutes in Game 1. Quickley played 21. Rose played 38.

You take Payton’s minutes, give them to Quickley and let him play around 30 minutes per game, all while keeping Burks and Rose in their same roles coming off the bench. Late in the game, we’ll still see plenty of Burks and Rose.

The last point to make here is that it’s not just the logistics of the lineup that make sense when Quickley is the starter.

It feels like this kid is about to explode if he’s given the chance.

NY Knicks: Let Immanuel Quickley’s star shine

Do you remember the Madison Square Garden floor shaking when Immanuel Quickley checked into the game and immediately dropped 8 points?

This is a really, really talented rookie. Oftentimes, he gets put into the box of being a “bench sparkplug” because, well, that’s exactly what he’s been in his rookie season.

That “sparkplug” energy doesn’t need to be something that’s exclusively kept on the bench. It’s not something that will just disappear if he’s starting the game.

The NY Knicks’ recent performances have made it clear that they NEED that energy to start the game, and I see no explanation that would lead me to believe Quickley can’t be the same energizer bunny he’s been for this entire season.

There is no reason to immediately cap Immanuel Quickley’s role. He doesn’t need to be the floor general in this offense, he just needs to continue to be Immanuel Quickley.

We’re talking about a rookie who has popped off the page on just about every advanced metric possible. 

Has he gone through any struggles this season? Absolutely.

We saw him struggle with his confidence early in April – he wasn’t his usual assertive self.

The Immanuel Quickley we saw in Game 1? That was someone who wanted the pressure. That was a player who was ready to make razor-sharp decisions every time he got the ball.

I was very much aboard the idea of simply replacing Elfrid Payton with Frank Ntilikina. Giving Ntilikina the 12-15 minute per game where he can bring defensive intensity, and we keep the bench intact.

After watching Game 1 unfold, it’s obvious that this team could take their game to an even higher level with Quickley as the starter.

He’ll bring competitive defense, quicker ball movement, and of course, knockdown scoring.

Give this kid the keys and don’t look back. He’s built for the NBA playoffs.