Immanuel Quickley is only a rookie, and the Knicks have had only two preseason games where they have seen him play point guard for long stretches. Despite that, he should be the Knicks’ point guard on opening night. Here are five reasons why:
1. There’s No One Better
It might seem crass, but it is not meant to be. Given his lack of experience, Immanuel Quickley might not be the best option to start at point guard for any other team in the NBA, but he is for the Knicks because of the other players competing with him.
Elfrid Payton is a veteran but his lack of shooting and his style of play make him ill-suited to be the team’s starting point guard. He seems to mostly have eyes for Julius Randle as a passer, and too often over-dribbles. If he doesn’t have the ball, his defender is free to double-team at-will due to his inability to hit an open jump shot. On a one-year contract, he is also not part of the team’s future.
Dennis Smith Jr. has had three games to prove he has solved his issues as a team’s primary ball-handler, and he has failed to do so. Frank Ntilikina seems more suited to an off-ball role as a defensive specialist, tertiary ball-handler, and spot-up shooter. Jared Harper lacks the size to the play the position as full-time starter.
Quickley might not turn out to be a long-term answer at point guard, and may be more suited as a combo-guard. And, his two excellent preseason games might be mirages against a terrible defensive team in the Cavaliers – but let’s find out. The only way to determine what he is going to be is to play him against other NBA-caliber players and see how he does.
2. He Can Shoot
Quickley can shoot, and he is one of only a few Knicks that can be said about. He is a constant threat to hit a jump shot from anywhere on the court. If he ends up being the starter, he would immediately be the best shooter of the group. His presence immediately helps the likes of RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and either Nerlens Noel or Mitchell Robinson to spread the floor.
Quickley lacks elite athleticism to win one-on-one and blow by opponents, but he is proving to be a strong pick-and-roll player due to his shooting. Opponents have to go over screens to prevent three-point attempts from behind the screen, and Quickley has proven he can use his frame to keep those players on his back after going over the screen. He methodically navigates into the paint, where he can score or set up his teammates.
His jump shot also gives him a very high floor as a contributor. Putting a good shooter on the floor is rarely a bad thing.
3. He Can Score In The Paint
Despite the name, Quickley, as I said, isn’t going to blow by anyone one-on-one to create a bunch of space to finish, or sky above the rim to finish with emphatic dunks. He doesn’t have to, though, as he has shown he is adept at finishing in different ways.
Quickley averaged five free throws per game as a sophomore at Kentucky, and his ability to get to the free throw line has translated in the preseason. He is savvy at drawing contact around screens or near the basket, and will frustrate opponents all year by initiating contact with his arms or body into moving defenders to draw fouls.
The floater is Quickley’s other weapon. He was in the 81st percentile shooting floaters at Kentucky last year, making 45 percent of his attempts. In the preseason, he has flashed that strong touch on floaters as centers back-pedal to the hoop in drop coverage. It is a weapon that can be very effective if he can continue to make them at a high rate.
4. He Can Defend
Quickley can defend his position, as he is very aware defensively and works hard to move over screens. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he has the length and strength to hang with NBA point guards and not get exploited. A Knicks point guard has not been able to both defend and shoot since Charlie Ward.
5. He Is A Good Enough Passer
Aside from his lack of elite athletic ability, Quickley’s biggest red flag as a full-time point guard might be his initial lack of elite passing and playmaking ability. He has shown the ability and willingness to throw alley-oops to the rim and he is not a selfish player, but there haven’t been many high-level passes.
In his first two games, he has not shown the willingness or ability to whip passes around to perimeter players on the weakside of the court after penetration. We didn’t see much of that in his time at Kentucky, either, which is why he might project more as a combo-guard and secondary ball-handler. It is an extremely small sample size, though, and it’s possible those skills manifest later as he gets more experience as a primary ball-handler.
For all of the five above factors, the Knicks are working off an extremely small sample size in both practice and in games. They owe it to themselves to give Quickley a chance to prove that his preseason success wasn’t a fluke. Even if some of his secondary skills don’t pan out, his shooting and defense will make him valuable.
No one wants or needs to see Elfrid Payton lead the Knicks as their starting point guard. His lack of shooting is hard to overcome, and he’s not part of the future – but Quickley could be. This year is supposed to be a way to figure out what players on the Knicks are part of their future core. Let’s find out how big a part of it that Immanuel Quickley is going to be.
Don’t waste time. Start him on opening night.
Listen to the most to the most recent episode of The Bank Shot, my Knicks podcast, where I give my preseason takes after the first two games. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.
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