New York Knicks: Immanuel Quickley is emerging as another hidden gem
The New York Knicks found another hidden gem in the NBA draft with Immanuel Quickley
Over the last few seasons, the New York Knicks haven’t enjoyed playoff success nor have they been the beneficiary of big free-agent decisions. Although, one area that they have excelled in is in finding hidden draft gems.
During the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, the Knicks found a hidden gem in Mitchell Robinson, who has become a key part of this team’s road back to redemption. And now, it appears that the Knicks may have done it again in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Late in the first round of the 2020 draft, the Knicks took a chance on Immanuel Quickley, a highly-touted prospect out of Kentucky that had become somewhat of an afterthought after spending two years in college.
Immanuel Quickley has been promising for the New York Knicks
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The 6-foot-3 guard has become a promising prospect for the Knicks this season. Despite not playing a huge role for the team just yet (Tom Thibodeau is bringing him along slowly, averaging 19 minutes per game), Quickley has quickly become one of the most productive rookies from this past draft.
Quickley is averaging 12 points and three assists per game on 40 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from 3-point range. He’s fifth among rookies in scoring, despite not even averaging 20 minutes per game.
New York recently acquired Derrick Rose via trade, from the Detroit Pistons, and you can already see the influence that he can have on a young player such as Quickley. You can see a similar style in both players, especially in Rose’s young days, and having a veteran to learn from has become an invaluable experience in the NBA.
Even if you say that the Knicks don’t have a true face of the franchise at the moment – especially if you don’t believe in RJ Barrett yet – you can’t argue with the fact that this team has compiled plenty of interesting, young prospects.
Between Barrett, Robinson, Obi Toppin (the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft), and Quickley, the Knicks have a strong core of young players – and that’s even without mentioning Julius Randle, who has been the team’s best overall player and leading-scorer this season.
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It may be a bit unfair to expect the New York Knicks to make the playoffs this season, but you can make the argument at this point in their progression that this team is closer to relevance in the Eastern Conference than they’ve been in nearly a decade.