Quickley is already a winning player who has been largely immune to the failures of the typical rookie. Yet Thibodeau hasn’t thrown he once and has limited him to under 20 minutes per game, potentially at the expense of New York’s playoff hopes.
The Knicks are worth 2.1 points for 100 possessions best with him on the floor, and when he shares the court with the other two New York strongholds, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, they are killing opponents by 14.3 points for 100 possesses. These aren’t exactly low leverage moments either. He played 37.5 percent of his minutes in the fourth quarter, and his scoring efficiency increased later in matches.
That late game improvement isn’t just a relative improvement. In an admittedly tiny five-game champion, Quickley averages 3.8 points per game in the clutch. That would surpass Kyrie Irving’s rookie record of 3.7 set during the 2011-12 season, and while some regression is inevitable on a more significant champion, it should be noted that his current pace is surprising even by veteran standards. . There are seven active MVPs in the NBA. Only two of them – James Harden (5.8) and Kevin Durant (4.3) – are scoring more in Quickley’s clutch. This leaves Quickley ahead of LeBron James (3.6), Stephen Curry (2.9), Russell Westbrook (2.4), Giannis Antetokounmpo (1.7) and Derrick Rose (1.4). Not really a bad company to keep. Quickley is already more comfortable in the late game than most veterans.
Quickley’s ascent was a pleasant surprise, and one that Thibodeau is still adapting to. His workload is slowly increasing, but there are arguments against his rapid development progress. Maintaining efficiency not only during the opening minutes, but also against opposing starters is difficult. Never underestimate the rookie wall. Thibodeau’s starters rarely see the bench. Quickley probably can’t play 38 minutes a game yet.
But he’s ready for more than he’s got, and that’s exactly what put him in the middle of the Rookie of the Year race. He’s earning his minutes of him playing more like a veteran than a rookie, and if the Knicks accept him, they might be able to get some hardware for their young point guard.