After going on an eight game win streak in December, the New York Knicks stumbled to a five game losing streak that brought them back down to earth.
The team was able to snap the losing streak by dispatching the Houston Rockets, but it’s clear things aren’t perfect for New York. RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson and Obi Toppin are all dealing with injuries, but that has opened the door for more minutes for some of the younger players.
Immanuel Quickley has seen a much larger role with the team, with the injuries, and that might’ve led to him drawing more interest from teams around the league. An NBA executive speaking to Heavy Sports’ Steve Bulpett tells him that Quickley has concerns about the Knicks committing to him long term, and that could end up leaving New York in a tough spot.
Quickley is Getting Interest
The executive told Bulpett that Quickley is the one player the Knicks would like to hang on to, but he’s also their biggest trade chip.
“The one guy who is really their trade asset is the one guy they’d like to keep, and that’s (Immanuel) Quickley,” the exec told Bulpett. “Great kid. But he sees himself as a starting point guard, and the Knicks see him as a combo guard.”
With Jalen Brunson in town, Quickley’s path to starting a point guard isn’t open, and it looks like he’s going to struggle to become a starter in general with Barrett and Quentin Grimes’ emergence. If he wants to become a starting guard, it would likely come somewhere out of New York.
The executive tells Bulpett that Quickley is aware of that, and he’s concerned about his long-term future.
“The problem is Quickley sees what Tyrese Maxey is doing 80 miles south of there and he thinks, ‘Hey, I’m every bit as good as Tyrese. The only difference is he’s had opportunity and I haven’t,’” the exec continued. “So he’s worried that the Knicks will never commit to letting him do what he wants to do. But he would bring back some value if they ever decided to trade him.”
Should There Be Concerns?
As of right now, there’s been nothing to suggest Quickley wants out of New York, at least not publicly.
Coach Tom Thibodeau has notoriously favored veterans over young players, but that has shifted this season with a youth movement. He’s removed both Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose from the regular rotation, and that has opened the door for players like Miles McBride, Quickley and Grimes to see heavier minutes with the team.
That ended up being the catalyst for the win streak in December, but it’s clear the team will need to do more than just playing the young players.
With the injuries piling up, Quickley has been playing a much bigger role and it’s brought mixed results.
In his past three games, he’s taken 73 shots and made 26 of them, resulting in a 35.6 percent field goal percentage. Obviously, that’s not a good percentage to have and it’s no surprise the Knicks have struggled over that stretch. If he can get his efficiency up a bit more, then it’d be smooth sailing for the Knicks, but that’s far from a guarantee.
On the season, Quickley is shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and that’d be a career best for him in it holds for the rest of the year. It’s an easier number to swallow when coming off the bench, but having a starting guard shoot like that would make it very difficult to succeed in the NBA.
Comments
Knicks Guard ‘Worried’ Team Won’t Commit to Him: Report