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On October 4, the New York Knicks will find themselves taking to the hardwood for live-game action after nearly a six-month hiatus.
Though the regular season may not kick off until October 19, Tuesday’s preseason bout against the Detroit Pistons will serve as the first time fans, media pundits, and, more importantly, the coaching staff will be able to see how this team’s group of talents can perform whilst up against opposing clubs.
Unfortunately, not everyone found on their 19-man roster is slated to participate in the upcoming festivities, as the Knicks shared a report via Twitter on October 3 that several of their players are either questionable or already being ruled out for the home tilt.
So far, a minimum of two players are slated to be out of the rotation for New York, with two others possibly joining them, thus opening up a few extra minutes for some active participants who, heading into 2022-23, may be looking for any opportunities they can to show out.
One player who could see a significant bump in playing time due to these expected absences is fourth-year pro, Cam Reddish. Since being selected 10th overall by the Atlanta Hawks back in 2019, the wing has put forth a rather underwhelming career, posting averages of 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Acquired by the Knicks on January 13 of last season, Reddish went on to play in just 15 games for the club before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with a shoulder injury.
While his counting stats of 6.1 points and 1.4 rebounds with New York are far from spectacular, the 22-year-old did show flashes of promise in his limited showings, particularly on the defensive end (two steals and just shy of a block per 100 possessions) and during his final full contest of the year on March 6 where he posted 17 points on 57% shooting from the floor.
Now with a full offseason of rehabilitation under his belt, Reddish is coming into the season looking to earn a new contract during next summer’s free agency period, as he’s entering the final year of his rookie-scale deal.
Already earning praise from head coach Tom Thibodeau, especially if there are several players sidelined for game one of the preseason the wing could end up seeing a solid amount of action against the Pistons.
With it, one can only hope that Reddish will capitalize on the opportunity.
Knicks’ Rookie Could Also See Serious Run
Aside from Reddish, another youngster that could see an enviable amount of playing time during the Knicks’ first preseason game is rookie shooting guard, Trevor Keels.
After being deemed a consensus top-25 prospect coming out of high school in 2021 and earning McDonald’s All-American honors along the way, the Maryland native committed to Duke University where he’d go on to have a rather successful one-and-done season in 2021-22.
Through 26 total games played, Keels served as a key offensive contributor for the Blue Devils, posting solid per-game averages of 11.5 points (third on the team), 3.4 rebounds (fourth on the team), and 2.7 assists and played the role of “an X-factor” in their Final Four run.
Despite being projected as a first-rounder the 19-year-old fell to the Knicks at 42 overall in the 2022 draft, where he would go on to sign a two-way deal with the franchise.
Now, heading into his debut NBA preseason game, with Quentin Grimes already out and Svi Mykhailiuk a possible scratch Keels could be in line for a larger share of the backup two guard minutes than initially expected.
With these minutes, he may wind up showing Knicks fans why he was once a projected first-round pick or why he may have slipped on draft night back in June.
Quickley Wants to Work on Shooting Efficiency
Although he boasts a solid career three-point shooting average of 36.5%, third-year guard Immanuel Quickley shoots just 39.3% from the field overall which, according to the New York Post, is a number that he says he wants to improve upon in 2022-23.
“I want to be able to shoot over 40 percent,” Quickley said. “I think it will help my field-goal percentage a lot. Just being able to do everything when I’m on the floor is a versatility thing I like for myself.”
Since being selected 25th overall back in the 2020 NBA Draft, Quickley has established himself as a favorite amongst the Knicks’ fan base and has become a key part of Tom Thibodeau’s main rotation, posting 11.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 21.4 minutes a night.
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