Tag: Immanuel Quickley

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Immanuel Quickley floats to the top spot

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.

The 2020-21 season has undoubtedly been a strange one to this point, but the circumstances facing teams in the league have enabled several rookies and other under-the-radar players the opportunity to log heavy minutes.

With teams around the league dealing with injury issues, rookie players have been thrust into the spotlight and are beginning to turn in some strong performances. From the rise of Immanuel Quickley to the emergence of Theo Maledon, rookies have been seen this year.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Rookie of the Year Race: LaMelo Ball has jumped off to an early lead

After the strangest offseason in NBA history, this class of rookies has been thrust into an even tougher adjustment period than usual.

After the strangest offseason in NBA history, this class of rookies has been thrust into an even tougher adjustment period than usual.

Now that we have had five weeks to evaluate them, however, we have a much better idea of who the best rookies have been. LaMelo Ball has been leading the pack, but to get a better sense of who his competitors may be for Rookie of the Year, we surveyed our staff.

Like our weekly MVP rankings, every member of our team voted on their personal Top 10 rankings for Rookie of the Year. We averaged out the results to get a cumulative ranking from the HoopsHype staff.

Every month, we will release our updated rankings for the Rookie of the Year race.

All relevant statistics are accurate as of Feb. 1, 2021 and are pulled from Basketball-Reference, RealGM or NBA.com unless noted otherwise.

Looking at LaMelo Ball’s rookie-leading ESPN Real Plus-Minus

Through the opening month of the season, LaMelo Ball has established himself as the top rookie in the 2020 NBA Draft.

LaMelo Ball’s opening 21 games have played out nearly as well as one could have realistically hoped. Monday, his 21st game, marked the latest milestone in Ball’s rookie season as he earned the first start of his career.

While no one individual stat can measure Ball’s impact through the first quarter of the season, one of the more generally accepted stats is ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM). A stat that measures the impact a player has both offensively and defensively, ESPN released the stat on Friday after accumulating a big enough sample size to start the season.

For Ball, it paints a picture that confirms what the eye test has shown many. Through Monday night’s games, Ball’s RPM of 0.85 is the best among rookies this season. The only player of note from the rookie class with a positive RPM is Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley at 0.31.

Breaking down Ball’s RPM is also interesting. His Offensive RPM (ORPM) is 3.09, a figure that is not just best among the rookies but 25th in the whole league. However, his struggles on the defensive end, which many projected coming into the league, has him ranked as not just the worst defender in the rookie class with a Defensive RPM (DRPM) of -2.24, but one of the worst in the league. Out of 454 players, Ball ranks 449th in DRPM.

Here’s a look at the RPM of the top 10 picks as well as some other notable picks outside the top 10 among the rookie class.

Only two other rookies listed have a positive ORPM in Quickley and Haliburton. Interestingly, Ball and Haliburton were named Rookies of the Month for January for their respective conferences.

On the defensive side, a number of players have made a positive impact there with Jalen Smith, Onyeka Okongwu and Deni Avdija all having positive a DRPM. However, it should be noted that each of those players have smaller sample sizes than most due to injuries early this season.

Nonetheless, Ball’s impact has been the best among the rookies so far this season as he continues his impressive rookie campaign.

Immanuel Quickley received pointers via text from Damian Lillard

After dropping a career-high on the Trail Blazers, Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley received a few extra tips from Damian Lillard.

Fresh off of dropping a career-high 31 points in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley received a few extra pointers and tips from All-Star Damian Lillard.

Quickley became the first rookie in Knicks history to score at least 30 points with five made 3-pointers during that matchup off the bench. Perhaps most impressive, Quickley produced 21 points alone in the fourth quarter as New York nearly pulled off the comeback win after trailing by 12 points in the period.

The Knicks returned to New York after a four-game West Coast road trip, in which Quickley faced off against the likes of Lillard, Stephen Curry, De’Aaron Fox and others.

The opportunity to play against those guys proved to be very beneficial for Quickley to see how they approach the game. Quickley revealed that he texted with Lillard after that loss.

“I got to pick Damian Lillard’s brain,” Quickley said. “I got to text Dame after the game. (Knicks associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant was really close with him so he put me on. Steph, I didn’t get a chance to talk to yet. Hopefully, I get a chance to pick his brain the next time they come to Madison Square.”

During the game, the broadcast on MSG showed a moment between Quickley and Lillard when the rookie was shooting free throws. Lillard appeared to be offering him some pointers at that point, too.

On the season, Quickley is averaging 10.7 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 15 games. He has emerged as a key player with the Knicks and one of the top rookies to this point of the season, ranking sixth in scoring among all first-year players.

Certainly, any advice Quickley can glean from Lillard will help go a long way in his development.

[lawrence-related id=26800,26401,24347]

[listicle id=26574]

Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley accomplishes rare feat after career night

The Knicks rookie dropped a career-high 31 points during a loss to the Trail Blazers and made some team history in the process.

On Sunday, New York Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley dropped a career-high 31 points off the bench during a 116-113 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Quickley led the Knicks in scoring, while converting on 9-of-18 shots from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. He is the first rookie in Knicks franchise history to score at least 30 points with five made 3-pointers in a game off of the bench, according to StatMuse.

His 31 points are the second-most by a rookie this season, trailing only the 39 points by Tyrese Maxey on Jan. 9.

The 25th overall pick scored 21 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter as he accounted for over half of the team’s points (36) in the period. New York trailed by 12 points entering the period and they nearly pulled off the comeback win behind the heroics of Quickley.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=RIEGJQk0Mc-1123512-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

Quickley had everything working on Sunday night, from his shooting to his ability to drive into the lane and finish at the rim. Of course, he also threw in some floaters, a shot he has seemingly perfected this season.

Despite the strong performance, the Knicks were unable to pull off the win but Quickley has proven to be the real deal this season and only improves each time he steps onto the court.

[lawrence-related id=26526,26401,25163]

[listicle id=26574]

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: LaMelo Ball, and the rise of Tyrese Maxey

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players from the opening month of the 2020-21 season.

With the first month of the season in the books, there have been some spectacular individual performances from players around the league. From Stephen Curry dropping a career-high 62 points to Tyrese Maxey scoring 39 points in his 10th NBA game, players have shown out.

The ongoing circumstances surrounding the season, with players in and out of the lineup, have created a great need for teams’ depth. As a result, several rookie players have had the chance to play extended minutes, and they have seemingly made the most of those opportunities.

The latest installment of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings features some of those first-year players that have had the opportunity to play more than they likely would have in normal conditions, while the other top rookies also make an appearance.

Rookie Wire will keep an eye on the class on a bi-weekly basis to keep track of the top first-year players and how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Immanuel Quickley’s strong first half helps Knicks to MLK Day win

New York opened up a jam-packed Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule with a victory over the Magic at Madison Square Garden.

R.J. Barrett scored a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Julius Randle produced 21 points and 17 rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 91-84 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday to open up a jam-packed NBA schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Off of the bench, rookie Immanuel Quickley scored all 11 of his points in the first half to help New York build a nine-point lead heading into halftime. Quickley connected on 4-of-10 shots in the contest, which was his fourth straight game scoring in double figures, his longest streak of the season.

The 25th overall pick once again flashed his offensive arsenal, and had his floater working to perfection. Though he only logged a few minutes in the second half, Quickley played a key role in helping the Knicks off to a solid start in the game.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=4Zug6DQBTt-1114358-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

Overall, the matchup proved to be rather sloppy by both teams, and each shot under 36% from the field. New York has struggled offensively throughout the season while Orlando has done a nosedive in the standings after losing six consecutive games.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Knicks scraped by and picked up their second straight win after enduring a five-game losing streak.

[lawrence-related id=26401,26364,17357]

[listicle id=26395]

Watch: Every floater Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley has made this season

Quickley has emerged as a dynamic scorer off the bench and the rookie is beginning to heat up with the Knicks.

On Sunday, Immanuel Quickley produced 17 points and a career-high eight assists to power the New York Knicks to a 105-75 victory on the road over the Boston Celtics.

The performance by Quickley was his third consecutive game with at least 17 points after scoring 19 points and a career-high 23 points in the Knicks’ previous two games. He has emerged as a dynamic scorer off the bench to this point of the season and has made a strong case to be moved into the starting lineup.

One element of his offensive arsenal that has been on display has been his floater package. Quickley has developed the ability to hit floaters this season, and there are plenty of clips to show it, courtesy of Rob Perez aka @WorldWideWob on Twitter.

Quickley recently went through a four-game shooting slump, but has since bounced back and has been on fire from the field. He has played an integral role off the bench for the Knicks and figures to be a crucial piece to the team’s success this season.

Certainly, the floaters add a fun element to his game…

[lawrence-related id=26364,26285,25163]

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=24vC74Qv8k-1113094-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

[listicle id=25816]

Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley sets new career-high in loss to Cavaliers

Quickley has bounced back from a tough four-game shooting slump by producing 42 points over his last two games.

Just two days after scoring a career-high 19 points, New York Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley followed up that performance by once again setting a new high mark in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Quickley produced 23 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot in 27 minutes off the bench. He shot 9-of-17 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, to lead the Knicks’ efforts off of the bench.

The 25th overall pick recently went through a four-game shooting slump, in which he totaled just 10 points on 8% (2-of-24) shooting from the field. Since then, though, Quickley has responded by scoring 42 points on 50% shooting from the field in two games.

It’s safe to say that he has snapped out of that funk.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=sWW3Kh6jcs-1111501-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

Following his outing on Friday, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if he would consider moving Quickley into the starting lineup. The veteran coach kept it diplomatic and added that every possible tweak to the lineup is in play after dropping five straight games.

The problem for Thibodeau is a good one, though. With a few more strong performances, Quickley will likely force Thibodeau to really consider making such a move.

In the meantime, Quickley has given the Knicks a strong offensive boost off the bench this season.

[lawrence-related id=25807,25748,25163]

[listicle id=25816]

Immanuel Quickley snaps out of slump, pours in career-high in loss to Nets

Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley was mired in quite a shooting slump, but it’s safe to say that he has officially snapped out of that funk.

Prior to Wednesday, New York Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley was mired in quite a shooting slump. Following his performance versus the Brooklyn Nets, it’s safe to say that Quickley has officially snapped out of that funk.

Quickley played in the Knicks’ season opener on Dec. 23 but then missed the next four games due to a hip injury. Upon returning to the lineup, he totaled 25 points in his first two games back while shooting 64% from the field. However, he mustered just 10 points over his next four games on just 8% (2-of-24) shooting.

On Wednesday, Quickley produced a career-high 19 points, three assists and two rebounds in a 116-109 loss to Brooklyn. The 25th overall pick shot 7-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-6 from the field, in 22 minutes off the bench.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=7WOB8uu3SX-1107993-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

Afterward, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team wasn’t worried about Quickley’s shooting slump. The team knows he is an important piece off the bench and his production will be key in finding success this season on the court.

Although the result certainly wasn’t what the Knicks were looking for, Quickley finding his shot again was likely a silver lining and an encouraging step moving forward.

[lawrence-related id=25807,25163,26184]

[listicle id=26126]