Saturday’s matchup with the Toronto Raptors marks the first time the Knicks will face former franchise cornerstones RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley since they were involved in the trade that brought OG Anunoby to New York. And what makes the match even more exciting is that it will take place at home, in Madison Square Garden. So Knicks fans will also be able to contribute.
Barrett was perceived as the savior of the franchise. He was selected third overall in the 2019 draft, arriving in the world’s largest media market facing enormous pressure to succeed. But Barrett has embraced that pressure, repeatedly expressing his preference to play in New York even though he grew up in Toronto.
Quickley arrived in New York with much less fanfare, but his impact was rather immediate. He was selected 25th overall in 2020 by the Oklahoma City Thunder and landed in New York as part of a late-night trade. Despite a seemingly odd fit given his size and the fact that he wasn’t a natural lead guard, Quickley was quite successful right out of the gate, averaging 11.4 points in 19.4 minutes per game as a rookie.
So far, the former Knicks are having success in Toronto. Barrett posted career-best averages of 20.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in his first 10 games. And Quickley is also posting career-best numbers, including 19 points and 5.2 assists per game, while he’s shooting an incredible 45.2 percent on three-point attempts.