thelesterlee
Earlier this week, the New York Knicks and Immanuel Quickley could not agree on a contract extension meaning Quickley will become a restricted free agent when the 2023-24 NBA season is over.
I have no real thoughts on the lack of an extension.
I think the front office wants to keep him on a 1-year deal in case they pull the trigger on a midseason trade but I also think team president, Leon Rose, understands team dynamics and recognizes Quickley probably doesn’t want to be a bench player his entire career and it doesn’t make sense to lock down a guy long term who doesn’t like his role and doesn’t want to be in the building.
Contract Quickey showed up to the first game of the season on a mission to get a massive direct deposit.
Immanuel Quickley with back-to-back tough buckets as New York and Boston are going at in the 4Q 👀
Live NOW on ESPN | #KiaTipOff23 pic.twitter.com/LJV76wcax7
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2023
We are about to witness one of the greatest contract years we’ve ever seen before.
Here’s what Immanuel Quickley did on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics:
- 28 minutes
- 24 points
- 5 3-pointers
- 6 rebounds
- 4 assists
- 1 steal
This is a man who is about to be wealthy next summer.
And the Knicks desperately need someone like Quickley because Julius Randle, after all these years, is still the most frustrating basketball player of all time.
The Knicks lost 104-108 to the Boston Celtics on opening night and it’s difficult not to look at the performance of New York’s All-NBA forward as the direct reason.
Randle has atrocious shot selection, often electing to chuck up 3’s he knows he can’t make instead of swinging the ball around the perimeter to guys like Quentin Grimes or Quickley who are far better 3-pointer shooters than him.
Julius Randle also has this faux-tough guy shtick that makes his game harder than it needs to be. Again, he’s an All-NBA player so he’s frequently guarded by the opposing team’s best player but rather than call a screen over to get a switch or just passing the fucking ball, Randle will try to take the best defender off the dribble leading to nasty-looking contested jumpers off the backboard or an obvious offensive foul or a turnover. Literally zero positive outcomes.
Watching Julius Randle play basketball is like watching Sisyphus push a boulder up a hill all day.
Meanwhile, watching Immanuel Quickley in the past has been nothing but joy. He made a 3 and he would erupt into pure rapture. It was even more impactful at Madison Square Garden where the building would turn into an earthquake after every made IQ bucket.
But there’s something different this year. Immanuel Quickley isn’t playing around anymore. He’s on the clock. He’s punching in and taking this shit seriously. There’s a new killer instinct that almost singlehandedly kept them in the game against Boston. He’s more focused. The bag is in reach.
Typically, the best player on the team defines the squad’s personality and presence, but Quickley’s swag trickles down the roster. IQ starts cooking and suddenly the Villanova boys wake up.
JOSH HART FOR 3️⃣
First lead of the night for the Knicks!
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/GSv3y8e8q8
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 26, 2023
Contract Quickley is about to become the most dominant force in the NBA. The New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals all because they didn’t want to pay their 6th man of the year.
Is Immanuel Quickley the most important player on the Knicks? Leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee. Let me know if you think Immanuel Quickley deserves a max so we can start a GoFundme and pay it ourselves if we have to.
