3 reasons Knicks will be improved and compete in the East in 2022-23
By Josh Wiesel
3. Play the young guys!
Hopefully, this will be the season where the Knicks let their young bucks run. Last season, Evan Fournier finished third on the Knicks in minutes per game at 29.5. Alec Burks finished fourth with 28.6. On a struggling Knicks team, there really was no reason for the 29-year-old Fournier to start 80 games. Knicks fans would’ve liked to see the younger players get more opportunities last season.
Immanuel Quickley:
Sophomore point guard Immanuel Quickley appeared in 78 games but only started three while playing 23.1 minutes per game. Quickley’s 14.59 PER ranked fifth on the Knicks and ranked above Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, and Evan Fournier. Here were Quickley’s Per 36 numbers: 17.6 points, 5.5 assists, and five rebounds. Quickley’s +264 was first on the Knicks and +99 better than Obi Toppin, who was in second.
Quickley played 42 minutes (a career-high) and electrified the Garden crowd with a 34-point triple-double in the season finale against the Toronto Raptors.
Quickley was electric and effective in the minutes he did play. If he doesn’t see his minutes increase this season, there will be a lot of unhappy fans in New York.
Obi Toppin:
Obi Toppin had a frustrating sophomore season as well. Playing in 72 games, Toppin only started in 10 and played 17.1 minutes per game. When the Knicks drafted Toppin eighth overall in the 2020 draft, many expected him to be impactful in his first season. After a quiet rookie year, it was believed Toppin would have an increased role in 2021-22.
Held back by coach Tom Thibodeau all season, it wasn’t until the final five games of the season that Toppin would be unleashed as he saw consistent minutes in the 30-40s.
These were Toppin’s stats in six games where he saw at least 30 minutes:
- 25.6 points
- 53.05 FG% on 16.6 shot attempts
- 7.0 rebounds
- 3.3 assists
- 1.0 block
- 45.7% from three on 7.5 attempts
A young player in the NBA needs consistency and flow to get acclimated into games and their career. Toppin has seen nothing but inconsistency in playing opportunities since he was drafted. Those final games of the season were a window into the player Toppin can be with more freedom.
Quentin Grimes:
The Knicks have a lot of hope for the combo guard they drafted 25th in the 2021 NBA draft. Grimes played in 46 games last season, averaging 17 minutes per game. Continuing on the trend of Quickley and Toppin, he only started in six of those games.
At six-foot-four, Grimes has good size at the guard position. He can knock down shots when needed, but his defensive instincts will prove valuable to the Knicks this season.
He can handle the scoring load if that’s what is asked of him. Averaging 17.8 points per game, Grimes was the leader scoring on a Houston Cougar team that made the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. He was also the second leading rebounder at 5.7 per game.
With Burks and Kemba Walker gone, Grimes should have more chances to see the court.
Cam Reddish:
To keep a confusing story short, the Knicks traded for Cam Reddish last season and then barely used him. The 23-year-old, six-foot-eight Reddish is the prototypical wing/forward that teams want in the NBA today. He has the versatility to shoot from deep and also can put the ball on the floor and create opportunities.
While still a member of the Atlanta Hawks last season, Reddish showcased his ability to hit from deep when he hit a career high eight three-pointers against the Chicago Bulls. In the 2020-21 playoffs, Reddish hit six three-pointers in a game six loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
On this Knicks team, he will most likely be asked to be a floor spacer. Probably better suited to come off the bench, Reddish could excel on this team by scoring in bunches.
