Knicks Youngster Tabbed as ‘Unexpected’ Breakout Candidate

Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks

Getty Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks dribbles as Keon Johnson and Trendon Watford of the Portland Trail Blazers defend.

The 2022-23 New York Knicks are a team flush with high-end young talents that, if held onto, can help guide them towards a bright and promising future.

Currently, with an average age of 24.2, the Knickerbockers rank as one of the younger teams in the association and have plenty of youngsters serving in prominent roles within Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

And while many of these players have the skills and abilities to breakout if given the opportunity, in a Forbes article published on August 15 writer Tom Rende listed soon-to-be third-year guard Immanuel Quickley as one of the 3 Eastern Conference players he believes could burst onto the scene.

Citing his smooth shooting stroke and constant hustle on both ends of the floor as major reasons for his potential to breakout this coming season, Rende thinks that if opportunity knocks, Quickley could wind up producing like a “borderline All-Star” and believes the 23-year-old already proved this during the latter part of 2021-22.

“In the final 23 games of the season he made clear the type of player that he can be: a borderline All-Star. The 23-year-old finished with a sizzling 16 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists with a 60 true shooting percentage.

“The most infectious part of Quickley’s game is the impact he has on the court and team as a whole– the Knicks had a +/- of 8.4 during that stretch and a 7.5 mark overall on the year. His gravity from three, elite free throw shooting, and activeness on defense make him one of the most intriguing guards to watch next season.”

Rende would then go on to say that his production up to this point coupled with the promise that he still holds may be a major reason why the Knicks have yet to strike a deal for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, for it is reported that, in the event of a trade, Quickley would likely have to be involved, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones who discussed this idea in a July 14 interview on ESPN 700.


Quickley Has Shined With Knicks

Throughout his two-year tenure with the Knicks, Immanuel Quickley has managed to work his way into the hearts of both the fanbase as well as the coaching staff, as he boasts north of 20 minutes per game whilst serving as one of the team’s main sparkplug scorers off the pine.

During this span, the guard has only proven capable of thriving when receiving more time on the hardwood and even finds himself posting stellar averages of 15.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 5.2 rebounds for his career when receiving 20+ minutes of action and shoots at a 36.5% shooting clip from distance for his career as a whole.

Just this past season in an April 10 bout against the Toronto Raptors, Quickley set a record for New York with his impressive overall play, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to notch a 30-point triple-double, as he finished off the season-finale with 34 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds.


Knicks Hesitant to Trade Rose, Grimes

Even with his proven track record and captivating promise, the Knicks don’t appear to view Quickley as being on the same level as some of their other players.

In an August 5 episode of the HoopsHype podcast, Tony Jones once again was found discussing the concept of New York trading for Donovan Mitchell and went on to state that the front office has some reserves about offloading two players in particular.

“The Knicks don’t want to unload Derrick Rose. He’s long been a favorite of Tom Thibodeau. I know the Knicks want to hang onto him and Grimes. Those guys are priorities,” Jones said during the episode.

Though Quickley may be seen as someone who can help a team build for the future, guys like Grimes and particularly Rose are perceived as individuals who can help a club win in the now.

Should the Knicks trade for Mitchell, they’d certainly be trying to establish themselves as a win-now squad.

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