New York Knicks: What does the All-Rookie Team mean for Immanuel Quickley?
By Avishai Sol
It’s been a good year for the New York Knicks as far as awards go. Julius Randle winning MIP and making 2nd team All-NBA, Tom Thibodeau winning Coach of the Year, and now Immanuel Quickley making an All-Rookie team.
Maybe you’re not too impressed by one measly rookie 2nd team selection, but any time a front office can use the 25th pick in the draft to select one of the 10 best rookies that year it’s cause for optimism and celebration.
New York Knicks: Immanuel Quickley’s All-Rookie honors are a sign of more success to come
Quickley was one of the core guys off the bench this season for New York and ended up playing really important minutes in the five playoff games against the Hawks. The fact that many a Knicks fan were calling for him to start at point guard after it became clear that Elfrid Payton was dead in the water says something about the valuable roll Quickley is likely to play on this team going forward.
At 22 he doesn’t have the same kind of star potential that RJ Barrett does, but with him and hopefully, Mitchell Robinson the New York Knicks front office sees a young core that should keep the team in the playoff mix for the next decade.
Quickley’s play as a shot creator, as well as a feisty perimeter defender (bolstered by his elastic 6’10 wingspan), means he’s got a defined place in this league for the long run. If he never gets any better than he is right now, he’ll still have a ten-year NBA career. But if we know anything about rookie point guards is that the best is yet to come.