NY Knicks: Immanuel Quickley and Tom Thibodeau form strong bond

One thing you’ll always hear about this NY Knicks team is how great their chemistry has been. From day one of the Tom Thibodeau regime, this team has built a strong culture on the back of hard work and commitment to team basketball.

It’s a roster that’s a bit of a hodge-podge of young players and established veterans. Sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley has been one of the many players who have thrived in Thibodeau’s system.

NY Knicks: Immanuel Quickley and Tom Thibodeau’s relationship

The Athletic’s new NY Knicks beat reporter, Fred Katz, detailed Immanuel Quickley’s year-2 expectations and his love of playing for the New York Knicks.

In the interview with Quickley, he spoke about how coach Thibodeau drives him.

Quickley said of Thibodeau’s intensity:

"“I love it. I love it. … That’s what you want…You want somebody that’s gonna push you, hold you accountable. And I don’t smile to be disrespectful. I smile because I really love when somebody gets on me because it’s a challenge.”"

In a funny way, Tom Thibodeau and Immanuel Quickley’s brands of basketball are quite different… and yet, they share the same approach to the game: Hard work, relentless dedication to their craft, and being held accountable.

Immanuel Quickley’s game is flashy, finesse, herky-jerky… while Tom Thibodeau’s style of play is always synonymous with physicality, strength, and absorbing contact.

They can really learn from each other.

I can remember last season when Tom Thibodeau was asked about Quickley’s tendency to take long-range 3-pointers, to which Thibodeau responded something to the effect of “we want him to take that shot”.

Thibodeau wants to instill his basketball priorities and points of emphasis in Immanuel Quickley, but that doesn’t mean it has to take away from Quickley’s strengths. He’s going to let Quickley be Quickley.

We saw coach Thibodeau have frequent on-court discussions with Quickley during the team’s Summer League. Quickley was the team’s starting point guard, and he showcased his potential of one day being a lead-guard in the NBA. 

Thibodeau believes in Quickley. He spoke on point guard play in the NBA today and said,

"“When you look at our league now, I would say the definition of a point guard has changed. We see a lot more scoring point guards. We see pick-and-roll point guards. We see power point guards that get downhill and make plays. So, it’s play to your strengths and cover up your weaknesses.”"

This is exactly the kind of coach Immanuel Quickley needed to find his direction in the NBA.

We know his strengths, but his ascension to the next level is about working on his weaknesses.

With Tom Thibodeau at the helm, I wouldn’t have any doubts that Immanuel Quickley can become one of the better starting guards in the NBA in a few short years. NY Knicks basketball is in good hands.