The shorthanded Knicks called on Immanuel Quickley for over 43 minutes in Thursday night's loss to the Spurs, just two nights after the 23-year-old logged over 50 minutes in an overtime loss to the Mavericks.
On Thursday, Quickley shot 44.4 percent from the field, shot nearly 42 percent from downtown, and finished with a career-high 36 points, after dishing out a career best 15 assists on Tuesday night.
Those numbers didn't seem to impress head coach Tom Thibodeau all that much when he was asked about Quickley's performance in an increased workload after Thursday's defeat.
"I don't get wrapped up in the individual. I look at what the team does," Thibodeau said. "That's the important thing. How do you impact the team?
"We didn't play well. Numbers when you don't win don't mean anything to me."
Indeed, the Knicks did not play well defensively, though Quickley, when on the floor this season, has helped New York be one of the better defensive units in the league. His shooting has been erratic throughout the year, but over his last six games, is shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from downtown while averaging 32.3 minutes per contest.
Some Knicks fans hoped Quickley's increased role as a result of Jalen Brunson's absence and Derrick Rose's decreased workload would allow Quickley to show his potential as a regular contributor, but when given a chance to praise his performance on Thursday, Thibodeau didn't seem all that interested, only focusing on the end team result.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say 'Play W-F-A-N')
