Immanuel Quickly has helped the New York Knicks to a 4-4 record in the 2023 NBA season with strong play off the bench and his scoring output has placed him in the company of three other great franchise sixth men.
Knicks: Quickley’s Consistent Scoring Off The Bench Only Done Three Times Before
As Jonah Morgan of Fan Nation reported, Quickley has scored 15 or more points in four games thus far, joining the following Knicks greats:
“Quickley’s early run puts him in some exclusive New York company: with 19 in Wednesday’s win over the San Antonio Spurs, the point is just the fourth player in Knicks’ history to have four or more games with 15 or more points off the bench through the team’s first eight games, joining Antony Mason (1992), John Starks (1996), and J.R. Smith (2012).”
Quickley’s name is now next to arguably the three best sixth men to grace a Knicks uniform. He started the season off hot with a 24-point performance against the Boston Celtics on opening night.
Since then, he put up a pair of 18-point games in the Knicks’ back-to-back stretch against the Cleveland Cavaliers and capped that off with 19 points in their most recent win over the Spurs. Mason, Starks, and Smith all reached the playoffs in the seasons where they started off strong. Quickley’s achievement will hold equal footing should the Knicks reach the postseason for the third time in the last four years.
- Will the Knicks expand their rotation for the second round versus the Pacers?
- Knicks’ Jalen Brunson not overlooking playoff matchup versus former head coach
- Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference Semifinals preview
Knicks Look to Get Above .500 as Quickley Builds Early Case for 6th Man Award
Quickley has been one of the few consistent scorers on the team as they’ve see-sawed their way through the early portion of the season. He’s been efficient, shooting 47.3 percent from the floor on the year, though he’s had a negative +/- in three of the four high-scoring games mentioned.
Of all the players that have come off the bench in at least half of their team’s games (min. 4 GP), Quickley’s 15.1 points per game ranks No. 5 overall. He’s making a strong case for Sixth Man of the Year, though early. With the Knicks picking up momentum in their last two games, his production off the bench will only add to their morale and better their chances at continuing their winning ways.
