Raptors point guard Quickley swiftly mastered how to be aggressive in his new position.
Following his trade acquisition by the Raptors at the close of 2023, Quickley was quickly established as the starting point guard for the group. Since then, Quickley’s minutes have increased from 24 per game with the New York Knicks to 32.3 with Toronto, as head coach Darko Rajakovic has instilled in him the importance of pushing the tempo of play in his new role.
Following a 121-93 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, Quickley stated, “I feel like when I’m more aggressive, I can find my teammates a little bit easier.” Quickley finished with 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. “When I’m in the scoring mindset and more aggressive, there’s a lot more help.”
“I’m just trying to find my shot and be aggressive first, taking what the defense gives me.”
On December 30, Quickley was dealt by the New York Knicks to Toronto in exchange for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn, as well as RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ontario, and a 2024 second-round selection.
The effects of increasing Quickley’s workload by eight minutes per game—mostly against the top defenders on the other team—have been patchy. As a shooting guard for New York, he averaged 15 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and one turnover in 30 games. However, as a point guard for the Raptors, he averages 16.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.3 turnovers.
Quickley stated, “I was probably the fourth guy on the scout report in New York,” adding that he was playing a lot more off the ball with the Knicks. “It’s probably different in that sense now that I’m probably one, two, or three on any given night.”
In order to improve his game, Quickley traveled to Miami during the all-star break. This move appears to have paid off as Toronto has won its last two games. He scored 24 points on a career-high six three-pointers, seven rebounds, and five assists in a crucial 123-121 victory in Atlanta on Friday, following a good showing in the victory against Brooklyn.
After practice last week, Quickley stated, “I’m still learning when to be ultra-aggressive and when to get my teammates involved.” “It takes a lot to play defense at a high level, including finding players where they want the ball and other things, as well as the game’s flow and rhythm.
But since this is what I wanted, I’m enjoying learning everything. This is what I wanted—I wanted to be challenged. Rajakovic, who is counting on Quickley to attack the hoop, draw defenders, and then find an open teammate for an easy basket, has given Quickley the exact challenge of being aggressive.
Rajakovic remarked, “I like his aggression, our team likes his aggression, his teammates like his aggression.” How soon he needs to get off the ball in some of those circumstances is going to be a work in progress.
“If he gets too far into the paint, especially with pick and rolls, he can probably find outlets earlier.”
On Monday, when the Raptors play the Indiana Pacers and former Toronto all-star Pascal Siakam, Quickley will face yet another challenging assignment.