I know that we are all angry that the New York Knicks missed out on Donovan Mitchell, but maybe this could be a blessing in disguise. It looks like the front office in New York isn’t just going to blow their franchise up for one player.
Yes, Donovan Mitchell is an All-Star player, but he isn’t a Michael Jordan or a Kobe Bryant. Those are the type of players you risk it all for. It would have been nice to have Mitchell, but I think we have an exciting young player that is ready to take the next step. With his third season beginning next month, Immanuel Quickley has the opportunity to make Knicks fans forget about the trade that didn’t happen!
Immanuel Quickley is more similar to Donovan Mitchell than you think
See, Donovan Mitchell and Immanuel Quickley are more similar than you think. They both had two-year collegiate careers with the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, respectively.
Before Mitchell’s junior season, he declared for the 2017 NBA Draft. In his sophomore season with the Louisville Cardinals, he averaged 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists per game. These stats remind me of Quickley’s when he was a Kentucky Wildcat.
Before Quickley declared for the 2020 draft, he averaged 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists per game as a sophomore. Those numbers are pretty much identical to Mitchell’s, right? They both made All-First Team for their respective conferences with Quickley winning SEC Player of the Year in 2020.
Heading into their draft nights, they were both projected first-round picks. The projections were right as both players didn’t have to wait long to walk across the stage.
In 2017, Mitchell, the 13th pick, was selected by the Denver Nuggets while Quickley was drafted in 2020 by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 25th overall pick. And guess what? They both were traded on draft night! Mitchell was traded to the Utah Jazz and Quickley became a Knick! So far, these two have had identical careers.
In Mitchell’s rookie campaign, he took on the scoring role and averaged 20 points and three assists per game. The next year, he increased his scoring to 24 points and four assists per game. His third year was his best yet! He increased his field goal percentage, free throw percentage, three-point percentage, rebounds, and assists on his way to his first All-Star selection. I think you all know where I’m going with this.
Look out for Immanuel Quickley in his third season with the Knicks
Quickley has the opportunity to do the same thing! He’s not quite the scorer that Donovan Mitchell is, but he does a bit of everything.
If there was a 40/40/90 club, Immanuel Quickley would’ve almost made it. In his rookie season, he was pretty darn close. He shot 40 percent from the field, almost 40 percent from three-point range (39 percent), and made 90 percent of his free throws while making the All-Rookie Second Team. In his second season, just like Mitchell, Quickley increased his rebounds and assists per game. Knicks fans expect Quickley to keep improving his game as he is a fan favorite.
Mitchell became an All-Star in his third season, so why can’t IQ? Their careers have mirrored each other since college. The NBA can be the same! And to be honest, Quickley may have more of an upper hand than Mitchell in some aspects of the game. He’s younger, taller, and is comfortable playing the point guard or shooting guard position.
In their first two years in the league, Quickley has shot the ball better from three and the free throw line than Mitchell. Those are two very important aspects in today’s game. Let’s hope he continues to trend in the right direction as this year can be a turning point for him. Mitchell took a turn for the best in his third year and hasn’t looked back since.
Don’t worry, New York, we don’t have a Donovan Mitchell, but we do have an Immanuel Quickley.
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