The New York Knicks are expecting big things out of sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley, who had a surprising rookie season where he averaged 11.4 points. As a late first-round pick, the 22-year-old has added different elements to his game in just one year, including a legit floater derived from veteran Derrick Rose.
Quickley is a skinny guard who will likely feature in a shooting role this upcoming season, as the Knicks signed Kemba Walker to aid at point guard.
Last season, Quickley made 59% of his overall shots unassisted, including 39% unassisted from three-point range. He’s great at creating his own opportunities, which oftentimes signals more advanced talent. Compared to Reggie Bullock, who is a spot-up shooter, rarely creating opportunities for himself, Quickley can fill the shooting guard role with more versatility.
However, Quickley’s biggest weakness is his defense, which is something he worked diligently on this off-season.
“I dedicated a lot to my summer in terms of working on my body,” Quickley told reporters after practice on Tuesday. “Getting stronger defensively. I feel like I’ll take a step this year and that’s going to be big on this team is guarding, just to be able to stay on the floor, stay in front of key guys and things like that. And then my passing ability, I feel like got better. And then just working on my strengths – shooting, I still have my floater, and being able to shoot left side to right is something I added to my game as well. So just my overall game.”