Immanuel Quickley has 32.5 points and eight assists over his last two games and has finished the season strong by finishing strong at the rim.
The Knicks guard made the jump from Kentucky to the NBA as the 25th overall pick in the 2020 draft with a reputation as a 3-point shooter.
He’s continued to fill out his game—and his body—and become a point guard who can score from anywhere.
Quickley, coming off a 40-point performance in the Knicks’ win over the Rockets on Monday, is enjoying his best NBA season.
He’s seen an uptick across the floor, but perhaps none more starkly than the jump in his 2-point percentage.
Last year, he shot 44.8 percent from inside the arc, and this season he has increased that to 52.9 percent.
In announcing the win, Quickley called out two assistants: associate trainer Johnnie Bryant and personal trainer Reese Whitley.
Immanuel Quickley goes up for a layup on his 40-point night in the Knicks’ win over the Rockets.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Quickley said film work and consulting with Bryant has helped him find soft spots in opposing defenses.
“Before every game, I watch a lot of film of the team I’m about to play against, where I can be pretty effective on the floor,” Quickley said after setting a career best in points. “Johnnie Bryant has helped me a lot, being able to work with him every day and being able to pick his brain.”
Quickley shot 57.4 percent from 5 yards last season.
This season, he’s shooting 61.6 percent. In 2021-22, he was a 41.3 percent shooter from 5-9 feet.
This season, he has been a 51.7 percent shooter. He shot 41.9 percent from 10-14 feet last season, and has increased that to 51.5 percent this year.
Immanuel QuickleyGetty Images
His range of floaters and a stronger body have allowed him to continue to finish his drives. Quickley said he lifted with Whitley four or five times a week in the offseason in Miami.
“It was pretty sharp,” Quickley said Monday before Wednesday’s game with the Garden Heat. “I’m glad to see that I can continue to improve my body and things like that. It all comes back to: Everyone says offense, but defense is also what I’m able to keep on the ground and be able to help the team be successful. So try to keep at it.’
Josh Hart, in his sixth NBA season and first on a winning team, is playing meaningful games.
“They’re fun, man,” said Hart, who never made the postseason with the Lakers, Pelicans or Trail Blazers. “If we were in a shrinking team, I wouldn’t play. So I think it’s fun to play towards the end of the season.”
Derrick Rose (illness) was inactive on Monday and is doubtful for Wednesday’s game.