Getty Alec Burks #18, Immanuel Quickley #5 and Mitchell Robinson #23
The New York Knicks starting lineup had improved since they acquired OG Anunoby. The downside is their bench has sputtered after losing their Sixth Man Immanuel Quickley who is now thriving as a starter in Toronto.
SNY’s Knicks insider Ian Begley listed five potential trade options to replace Quickley’s spark off the bench.
“The name that people throw out is Malcolm Brogdon,” Begley said on the January 4 episode of his SNY show “The Putback with Ian Begley.” “I don’t know what the cost for Brogdon would be.”
“Thibs’ favorite Alec Burks. I don’t know the interest level there but I’m sure he could be gettable. Bojan Bogdanovic is not necessarily a bench help. He’s a player that I think Detroit will be open to moving because of where they are. … I think Killian Hayes is a guy who could be available. So you look at those names and maybe Delon Wright in Washington.”
Possible names to keep an eye in the depth category as the trade deadline approaches:
🔸 Malcolm Brogdon
🔸 Alec Burks
🔸 Bojan Bogdanović
🔸 Killian Hayes
🔸 Delon Wright
Ian, @JakeLFischer, and @JCMacriNBA on The Putback with Ian Begley: t.co/0U3lhZsuWC
Sputtering Knicks Bench
With RJ Barrett and Quickley gone, the Knicks lost some shot creation in the non-Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle minutes.
Before the trade, the Knicks’ second unit had a top-6 offense, averaging 62.6 points per 100 possessions, and tied for fifth in net rating (plus-2.3), per NBA advanced tracking data.
Over their last two games since the trade, that Knicks strength suddenly became their Achilles heel. Their bench’s offensive rating drastically dropped to 45.3 points per 100 possessions and their net rating to minus-14.3, 28th in the league.
Their bench scoring was cut into half from 34.5 points, 14th in the league, before the trade to merely 17.5 points per game over their last two games, which placed last among all 30 NBA teams.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau tried to mitigate that by staggering Brunson and Randle’s minutes with their skeleton second unit. But it’s not sustainable in the playoffs.
Thibodeau said they want to take a look at Malachi Flynn, who was included in the trade. Flynn, the 29th overall pick in 2020, had been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s road game in Philadelphia.
Immanuel Quickley Unleashed in Toronto
Quickley is averaging 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 54% from deep as the starting point guard for the 2-0 Raptors since the trade.
Toronto has been 8.0 points better with Quickley on the court.
“Darko [Rajakovic] pulled me aside while the game was going on and said: ‘You’re not having fun. Have fun,’” Quickley told Canadian reporters on January 3 after he led the Raptors over Ja Morant and Memphis Grizzlies their second straight since the trade. “I’ve never really had a coach do that.”
Quickley is enjoying being the Raptors’ lead guard.
New York’s loss is Toronto’s gain.
“He fits great,” Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said. “It’s a guy that can do so much with the ball. His shooting is really something that makes a difference for us.”
Knicks Star Impressed With Isaiah Hartenstein
Isaiah Hartenstein drew praise from Randle after the German-American center grabbed a career-best 20 rebounds to go along with 10 points and a career-high-tying five blocks in a big win over the Chicago Bulls.
“I’m impressed with the way he’s protecting the rim, to be honest,” Julius Randle said to The Athletic’s Fred Katz after the win over the Bulls, on Hartenstein’s performances. “We’re used to Mitch doing that, covering up for our mistakes when we get beat off the dribble. But he’s a monster doing that. And to go up against (Bulls center Andre) Drummond and get 20 rebounds, it’s no slight. He’s been amazing.”
Hartenstein is averaging 10.0 rebounds, 7.8 points on 62.3% shooting, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks in 32.4 minutes in 13 games since Mitchell Robinson, his best buddy in the team, went down with a season-ending ankle injury.