The New York Knicks are simply better when young guard Immanuel Quickley is knocking down shots at an efficient rate. However, Quickley’s defense has kept him in the lineup early this season, despite shooting woes to open the campaign.
Mirin Fader of The Ringer dropped a valuable piece of information several weeks ago, indicating that Immanuel was seeking out advice from one of the best defensive guards in the league, Jrue Holiday.
Quickley thinks Jrue Holiday is the best defender in the league and continues to seek him out for pointers. ‘Jrue says it’s effort, energy, and knowing people’s tendencies.’ Holiday shared with him that being great defensively also has to do with experience; just getting older, smarter.
There’s no question that Quickley has displayed heightened effort and more anticipation on defense, which will pair nicely with his floater and quality 3-PT shooting.
Before the Knicks’ defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Quickley was struggling to find his groove, but his last two games have showcased just how lethal he can be.
“I don’t think it’s really a slump,†Quickley said over the weekend. “I haven’t made some shots, but it’s a long season. It’s not a 10-game season. It’s an 82-game season. I just continue to stay in the gym, work hard, trust God and I’ll keep my confidence high.â€
Quickley posted 12 points against the Cavs, shooting 40% from 3-PT range, but he really stepped up against the 76ers on Monday evening, shooting 3-of-4 from deep, hitting 75%.
With Quickley’s shooting starting to increase in efficiency, the Knicks can begin to rely on him more frequently, especially as they try to manage the loads of Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker, who were called into action against Philly.
Over his past three games, Quick is averaging 10.3 points, 49.3% from deep, and three assists. His contributions have been huge in extracting two hard-fought wins over the Knicks’ last three games. A resilient victory against Milwaukee, overcoming a 21-point deficit, was a huge step forward for Quickley’s confidence, propelling him to a much more production performance against Cleveland.
If New York can get the best version of Quickley moving forward, they can take some of the pressure off Walker and Rose, which is essential for the longevity of both players over a grueling season.