Getty Damian Lillard, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have been one of the more surprising teams of the season, playing an entertaining brand of basketball while also developing some of their younger talents.
Now, with their place in the playoffs booked, Knicks fans have begun to focus on the NBA’s end-of-season awards, most notably the Sixth Man of the Year award, with many believing that Immanuel Quickley should be the front-runner.
It would appear that superstar point guard Damian Lillard would agree, as on April 7, he quote Re-Tweeted a Tweet that listed the current frontrunners, stating his belief that Quickley deserves the recognition.
Still, Quickley will face stiff competition from Malcolm Brogdon of the Boston Celtics, who has been a revelation for the Eastern Conference contenders, and unlike Quickley, hasn’t started a single game this season.
However, given Quickley’s overall impact on the Knicks’ offense, there is a legitimate chance that he could win the individual accolade, which would be another sign of the solid work being done by New York this season.
Tom Thibodeau Heaps Praise on Immanuel Quickley
When speaking to the media following the Knicks April 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers, head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Quickley’s versatility, noting how he fits with both the starters and bench unit.
“The beauty of his game is you can start him,” Thibodeau said. “You can bring him off the bench. You can play with the [shooting guard spot]. You can play him at [point guard]. He fits with both groups [starters and second unit]…It doesn’t take him a long time to get going. He’s instantaneous. As soon as he gets in, he’s ready to go, and when you say, ‘Well, we need you to start. Okay, I got it.’ That’s his mindset. It’s terrific!”
Quickley has been the ideal release valve for the Knicks this season and has energized their offense every time his number has been called, allowing him to boast season averages of 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from deep.
Knicks Could Struggle to Keep Obi Toppin
“At some point there’s an expiration date on playing two six-minute shifts where you get to take a couple threes & you come out of the game.” – @ZachLowe_NBA on Obi Toppin
Zach & @JCMacriNBA talk Knicks, Toppin, Cavs & more on The Putback. Full show here: t.co/Oce8tCmB7R
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who was speaking on an April 5 episode of The Putback with Ian Begley, the Knicks could potentially struggle to keep Obi Toppin long-term unless they find a way to give him more minutes and incorporate his skillset.
“You just sort of know how these things go. Obi’s a high draft pick, a talented young player. At some point there’s an expiration date on playing two six-minute shifts where you get a couple of threes and you come out of the game,” Lowe said. “There’s just an expiration date on that.”
For now, though, the Knicks will be focusing on their upcoming first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they will be hoping to put in some good performances and progress into the second round of the playoffs. However, before New York can turn their attention toward postseason basketball, they will need to focus on their upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 7.