After a jittery start to his first NBA Summer League, Immanuel Quickley got the perfect advice from New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Just be yourself,” Quickley revealed.
And he looked like the Quickley that the Knicks have stolen with the 25th pick in last year’s NBA draft who was named to the All-Rookie NBA Team.
After a brutal 5-for-17 shooting in the Knicks’ 89-79 loss to the Toronto Raptors Sunday, Quickley bounced back strong with a game-high 32 points built around 11-of-21 field goals. He was perfect six-for-six from the line and added eight assists against a single turnover. The guard out of Kentucky also had two steals in a solid game on both ends of the floor.
“Last game, I was kinda trying to find my way and get everybody involved,” Quickley said. “In this game, I’m kinda trying to do both but just a little bit more aggressive, help my teammates and be more of a leader.”
Quickley did much of the damage in the second half, dropping 23 points and six assists where the Knicks outscored the Pacers by 11 points.
Obi Toppin, who fed off Quickley’s point guard play, had another strong outing with 22 points and nine rebounds but had five turnovers. Toppin started the game aggressively and a little bit out of control. In the first quarter, he committed four of the Knicks’ 10 turnovers and missed three baskets around the rim, including a flubbed dunk in his first attempt. But once he got settled and played in the flow of things, the sophomore forward was a wrecking ball.
Two days after the Knicks lost to Atlanta Hawks in the first round, Quickley and Toppin were reportedly back in the gym.
“That’s what the Knicks culture is — working hard, enjoying the work, and getting better,” Quickley said. “We’re really excited for the Summer League team. We’re really excited for the next season. We just want to continue to get better and take the steps to move forward.”
The Knicks have prioritized getting Quickley more reps as a point guard in his first Summer League play. So far, the 8.0/2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio had been impressive.
Meanwhile, fan-favorite Jericho Sims stayed perfect in the NBA Summer League with an eight-point, nine-rebound effort. He was 4-for-4 from the field after going 6-for-6 in his debut. Sims, who signed a two-way deal reportedly for two years per Keith Smith of Spotrac, has been a revelation.
“He played phenomenal running the floor and catching lobs in traffic,” freelance NBA scout Tony Coleman told Empire Sports Media. “He’s playing solid defense on the other side of the ball. He’s definitely a steal in my humble opinion.”
Coleman is in Las Vegas for his scouting trip.
Lithuanian guard Rokas Jokubaitis, the Knicks’ 36th pick, also made his Knicks debut contributing three points and one assist in nine minutes. He was given more playing time than Luca Vildoza, who was scoreless in four minutes but managed to grab a rebound and one steal.
The Knicks’ first-round pick, Quentin Grimes, had another rough shooting game with six points on 2-for-10 shooting in almost 35 minutes. Matched against NBA Draft Day target Chris Duarte, Grimes committed five fouls. Duarte had a solid debut filling up the stats sheet with 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two shot blocks. The 24-year old Duarte played with so much poise and shot 4-of-8 from the field, including 3-for-7 from deep.
The Knicks’ other second-round pick, Miles McBride, put an exclamation point to their win and his impressive game with a dunk. With Thibodeau in attendance, McBride showed the toughness and tenacity that made the Knicks coach fall in love with his game.
McBride scattered 14 points (5-of-7 from the field), three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
The Knicks will return to action on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 pm ET on ESPN2.
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