New York Knicks: 3 Positives and 2 Negatives from Summer League

New York Knicks: Positive — Immanuel Quickley’s passing

Quickley performed well enough in the regular season where it wasn’t a necessity for him to appear in the summer league. The front office already knew about his silky floater and limitless shooting range, so they wanted something more.

It seemed like they wanted to give him some reps as a lead guard, perhaps beginning to prepare him for an eventual role as starting point guard when the contracts of Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose expire in 2 years.

It would allow Quickley to learn from two of the top point guards in the NBA over the past decade before promoting him to a starting job when he’ll still be just 24 years old.

But first, he needed to show signs of improved passing ability. He displayed some solid court vision as a rookie, but he still averaged just 2.0 assists per game and performed much better with a lead ball-handler (such as Rose) by his side to take over primary playmaking duties.

As for the summer league, Yoshimoto named Quickley as the unquestioned starting point guard and allowed him to dictate the team’s offense. The playmaking results were exceptional.

The sophomore averaged 7.8 assists compared to just 2.4 turnovers per game, finishing second among all summer league players in dishing.

Whether it was a behind-the-back dime or a perfectly-timed alley-oop, Quickley showed off a passing arsenal that could easily translate to regular-season action.