Tag: Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley named his biggest surprise of Knicks training camp

Quickley knew the speed of the game in the NBA would be different from college but the adjustment has been even more different.

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New York Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley understood the speed of the game at the NBA level would be vastly different from his days in college with the Kentucky Wildcats.

However, the adjustment has been even more different than he imagined.

Quickley likely may not be the only rookie to feel that way a week-plus into training camp. Given the truncated offseason period, teams are doing everything they can to make sure players are up to speed before the preseason begins, and that includes giving rookies like Quickley a taste of what is to come.

The 25th overall pick credited his time with the Wildcats in helping make the transition to the next level a smooth one. Kentucky head coach John Calipari has sent dozens of players to the NBA over the years and often puts them through intense workouts to begin preparations, something Quickley noted.

“I didn’t think the speed of the game would be too much faster but it’s actually been a lot faster,” Quickley said Wednesday on a Zoom call with reporters. “I feel like Kentucky they do a great job of preparing us but until you get out there and experience a full practice of going up and down, it’s really nothing like it. I think the speed of the game has been the biggest adjustment and I feel like I’m making a great jump every single day and I feel like I’m getting better.”

While Quickley adjusts to the game speed, he has impressed thus far in camp.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Quickley for his ability to shoot the ball. Quickley converted on 42.8% of his shots from 3-point range and emerged as one of the top shooters in the country last season, a trait he wants to continue with the Knicks.

Quickley projects to be able to play at both guard positions and can work on and off the ball. Thibodeau envisions Quickley will be able to create for himself and his teammates throughout the season while impacting games on the defensive end.

The speed of the game will likely be something Quickley figures out in the coming weeks but the 21-year-old should be a good addition to the roster this season given his versatility. He will get his first chance on Friday when the Knicks begin preseason play versus the Detroit Pistons.

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Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley visited with Carmelo prior to NBA draft

Quickley received some advice from Carmelo Anthony ahead of the NBA draft a few weeks ago.

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Before New York selected Immanuel Quickley with the 25th overall pick in the NBA draft, the former Kentucky Wildcats forward met up with Portland Trail Blazers forward, and Knicks legend, Carmelo Anthony.

The two are both from Maryland with Quickley growing up just outside of Baltimore, where Anthony is from. Quickley was active in the local basketball scene growing up, playing against the likes of Quinn Cook and Josh Selby while he looked up to Anthony.

Anthony offered up some advice to him prior to the draft.

“I actually got to spend a little bit of time with Carmelo during my pre-draft [training],” Quickley said on Thursday. “He just gave me little nuggets about taking care of your body, going in with a mindset to be hungry, learning from the older guys and things like that. It was really good to have him in my corner. I wish him the best of luck, as well.”

Quickley was named the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30 games last season while he shot 42.8% from 3-point range. His 92.3 free-throw percentage ranked sixth-best among all underclassmen in the country.

The 21-year-old has been busy getting acclimated to his new teammates and coaching staff. He even admitted that he has gotten to know some of his new teammates by studying them and their tendencies on NBA 2K21 when he plays with the Knicks.

Quickley said he tries to model his game after the likes of C.J. McCollum and Lou Williams. He is looking to play hard and bring energy to the floor this season while he also believes he can shoot with the best of them and create for his teammates.

The Knicks certainly had a strong night in the draft after adding Quickley and Obi Toppin. The team projects to have an interesting, young core this season and it will be worth monitoring to see if they can take the next step forward under Tom Thibodeau.

New York begins preseason play on Dec. 11 vs. the Detroit Pistons.

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Warriors Wire Mock Draft: Final predictions for the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft

Before the 2020 NBA draft is underway, here is Warriors Wire’s final predictions for the Golden State Warriors.

For the first time since 2002, the Golden State Warriors will be on the clock with a top-five selection in the NBA draft. Following a lengthy wait, the Warriors will soon make their highly-anticipated selection for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. There’s still a bevy of question marks around the draft with only hours till the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the clock with the first pick.

As Golden State’s championship core gears up for a climb back to contention, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could opt to trade the pick for a proven veteran who can fit with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

If they hold the pick, the Warriors could eye a big prospect that can provide consistency to their frontcourt or a wing piece that can add a punch to the rotation behind the Splash Brothers.

Top-prospects like James Wiseman out of Memphis, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, Illawarra Hawk’s LaMelo Ball, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdija will be in play for the Warriors in the first round. Following their top pick, Myers and Kerr will turn their attention to their two picks in the second round.

Before the long-awaited No. 2 overall pick is on the clock, Warriors Wire has final predictions for the Golden State Warriors’ selections in the first and second rounds of the 2020 NBA draft.

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2020 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final update ranking Top 100 prospects

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

Originally scheduled for June, the ongoing pandemic pushed the big night back by five months. While this may cause some teams to overthink their decisions, it gave analysts plenty of time to study all of the top prospects eligible in this class.

This year, players had to participate in a mostly virtual pre-draft process. On the bright side, this meant that teams had the opportunity to interview more candidates than ever before.

However, the number of in-person visits were incredibly limited due to the restrictive parameters set by the league. Similarly, the NBA draft combine was conducted without the typical scrimmages where players can separate themselves from the others with impressive on-court performances.

Overall, the players that stood out in this pre-draft process had a different path to recognition than any other year. College basketball players did not have the opportunity to showcase themselves during March Madness. The nation’s top seniors did not get to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

As such, executives will rely mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intel they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We also depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews with more than three dozen prospects and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.

This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the Top 100 players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA.

Relevant statistics were pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik, KenPom, Open Look Analytics and RealGM. Note that the age listed for each player references how old they will be on the night of the draft.

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

John Calipari compares potential Nets draft pick to Nuggets star Jamal Murray

If Brooklyn fans didn’t already like the idea of their team selecting Immanuel Quickley in the draft, a former Nets coach has some intel.

Comparing draft prospects to established players is always a dicey game. A lot can go right or wrong when a young player makes the big jump to the NBA. There’s no telling how they’ll handle the adversity that comes with playing at the highest level.

That’s especially true when comparing prospects to breakout stars — like Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who made waves in the Disney bubble by playing a huge role in Denver’s run to the Western Conference Finals.

But in this instance, Jon Calipari comparing potential Nets draft pick Immanuel Quickley to Murray doesn’t seem over the top. Especially when considering he coached both guards at the college level.

“Jamal Murray did not play but about 15 percent point guard (at Kentucky),” Calipari said before the pandemic hit, per Jon Hale of The Courier-Journal. “I would say Immanuel played 5-8 percent point guard because the other two guys in front of him were better in pick-and-rolls and creating shots for their teammates. They weren’t a shot-creator like he was. So, the team used that strength and exploited that in him.”

RELATED: Nets among teams Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley met with

PHOTOS: Brooklyn Nets player salaries for 2020-21 and beyond

Report: Celtics have met with Kentucky sharpshooter Immanuel Quickley

The Boston Celtics have reportedly met with Kentucky’s sharpshooting guard Immanuel Quickley ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Boston Celtics are reportedly among several teams who have interviewed Kentucky Guard Immanuel Quickley, reports New York Times Sports’ Adam Zagoria — would the former Wildcat make a good target for the Celtics?

He’s a little short for a 2-guard at 6-foot-3, and doesn’t pass the rock especially well, but can score in bunches and is a lethal shooter — among the best in the draft at 42.8% on 4.8 attempts per game in his final season with UK.

He’s also a solid defender with a 6-foot-10 wingspan who pulls down 4.2 boards per game. His biggest knocks apart from his height are his age at 21 years old and that he finishes poorly around the rim.

He could also use to put on some muscle, but has no glaring weaknesses — odd for a player projected in the back half of the draft by most mocks.

A player who could likely help out immediately off the bench for Boston with shooting for the second unit with potential to grow into a high-end rotation player, Quickley would be a worthy target for Boston’s No. 47 pick if available.

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Could the Thunder be targeting Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley?

The Kentucky Wildcat has now met with the Thunder twice.

With the 2020 NBA Finals now in the history books, the league’s teams are fully focused on the offseason. That means, yes, free agency and trades, but it also means scouting players in preparation for the draft.

Obviously, this year’s draft is unlike any other. Teams haven’t had the benefit of an NCAA tournament from which to draw conclusions about anyone’s ability to be a difference-maker at the NBA level. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t get an idea of which players are attracting the right kind of attention. Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley is one.

Quickley, it was reported by Forbes’ Adam Zagoria, has met with the Thunder twice thus far in the pre-draft process. The guard has also met with both the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks twice, as well, with the Knicks desperate to find some stability at the point guard position.

According to Zagoria, many mock drafts are predicting that Quickley will be drafted in the second round, meaning that the Thunder, at least in theory, would have a shot at him with their 25th pick. The team will also be on the clock with the 53rd overall pick, but based on the amount of attention Quickley appears to be getting, he may not last that long.

One important thing to keep in mind with respect to the Thunder is that Sam Presti is perhaps the wealthiest general manager in the league when it comes to future draft picks. It’s fair to believe that he could put together a package to trade for a prospect that tickles his fancy, and Quickley could certainly be one of them if the club decides to move on from Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder — a distinct possibility.

Quickley comes from good stock, as there’s no shortage of former Wildcat guards who’ve become excellent pros. Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, John Wall and Jamal Murray are but a few. Perhaps most appropriately, that long list also includes the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Quickley, who was named the SEC Player of the Year, averaged 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists at Kentucky this past season.

The 2020 NBA Draft will be conducted virtually on Nov. 18.

Immanuel Quickley has met with Knicks, Thunder twice before NBA Draft

Quickley was named the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30 games last season at Kentucky.

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Projected second-round pick Immanuel Quickley has reportedly met twice with the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes.

Quickley was named the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30 games last season at Kentucky while he shot 42.8% from 3-point range. His 92.3 free-throw percentage ranked sixth-best among all underclassmen in the country.

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The 21-year-old has also met with several other teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets among others. For a player like Quickley, who is projected to be a second-round pick, it is not uncommon to meet with several teams.

Quickly struggled during his freshman campaign, averaging just 5.2 points in 37 games, but bounced back in a big way during the 2019-20 season. He projects to be a viable 3-and-D option at the next level and appears poised to hear his name called on Nov. 18.

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