Immanuel Quickley averaged a career-high 28.9 minutes per game for the New York Knicks in 2022-23, which helped him put together a season worthy of Sixth Man of the Year consideration. This year, he’s seen a noticeable dip in playing time, yet it has not taken away from his productivity or deterred his confidence.
Knicks: Quality Over Quantity for Immanuel Quickley as His Playing Time Continues to Decrease
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post shared this quote from Quickley, who explained how he is more concerned about maximizing his time on the court than counting the number of minutes played:
“Just whatever minutes you get, go out there and be effective,” said Quickley, whose playing time has been cut about four minutes per game from last season. “Whatever minutes I get — whether 15, 20, 25. I played 55 [in an overtime game] last season. Whatever minutes I get, go out there and help the team win.”
Quickley is seeing 24.9 minutes a game, a near five-minute dropoff from last season. Further, he’s only played 20 minutes in his last five games. Yet and still, the 24-year-old scorer is averaging a career-high 15 points per game and is putting up his highest true shooting percentage (58.1 percent) and offensive box plus-minus (2.4) as a pro.
The reduction in playing time should be a cause for concern, even if Quickley has not harped on it. His per-36-minute averages suggest he’d be miles ahead of his numbers from last season if he were seeing similar minutes.
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Minutes, Depth Chart and Failed Extension May Necessitate a Quickley Trade Prior to RFA
The Knicks have added to their guard rotation and the insertion of Donte DiVincenzo into the lineup has already disrupted Quentin Grimes’ playing time and now gives head coach Tom Thibodeau another two-way option to take away from that of Quickley’s.
Should his diminished playing time continue at the rate it’s going, Quickley may have more incentive to press the notion of restricted free agency and sign a lucrative offer sheet after contract extension talks fell through earlier this year.
The Knicks run the risk of losing one of the best bench players in the league and will have to make several hard decisions on how to deal with his situation. Quickley’s name has surfaced as a potential trade piece as the deadline is just under two months away. Regardless, Quickley has the right mindset to continue helping the Knicks win while offering electric scoring and shooting in whatever role he’s given.
