Immanuel Talks About Getting Used to His New Role as a Raptor: “This is What I Wanted”
Immanuel Quickley desired this. Although he never asked for a trade with New York, it was obvious that he thought of himself as more than the Knicks could offer. He didn’t want to be Jalen Brunson’s role-playing backup point guard. As the 24-year-old approached free agency, he desired more.
However, Quickley has had challenges with a larger role because his performance hasn’t quite been the same since he joined the Toronto Raptors in early January.
He used to be an above-average shooter but his shooting efficiency has plummeted to slightly below-average overall. Since moving to Toronto, his pull-up three-point shooting, which was previously the best in the league, has dropped to 29.7%, and his touch inside the arc has also declined.
Why?
It has a lot to do with Quickley’s application. In Toronto as opposed to New York, he has been asked to play more on the ball with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. This meant that he had to take harder shots without having to worry about elite weaponry occupying additional space by playing next to him.
It also stems from Quickley’s increased respectability among Toronto’s offensive line. Other teams no longer rank him as their fourth or fifth option on the scouting report. Rather, he is regarded as the Raptors’ best weapon and is used as such.
It is one thing to play against second-unit players after coming off the bench. The other point is that different defenders guard you, different coverages are used against you, and different teammates set screens for you when you’re a starter and one of the team’s most important players, Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said on Wednesday.
That required some getting used to, as Quickley hasn’t experienced it all at once. He’s attempting to strike a balance between leading the squad and being aggressive by keeping track of where his teammates are and how to locate them. Furthermore, acquiring that expertise takes time, Rajaković continued.
Nevertheless, Toronto is unconcerned.
Quickley is still viewed by the team as someone who should be paired with Barnes going ahead. Rajaković stated that Quickley’s numbers will return to his career average after a hot stretch, and it shouldn’t take long for him to settle in with his new teammates.
Regarding Quickley, Rajaković remarked, “I see a lot of potential and I see that we are just scratching the surface.”
Quickley has been able to concentrate deeply on the last stretch of the season after taking a week off to refocus away from the team. Though it’s still early in the process, the team’s new lead guard is still figuring out how to strike a balance between being aggressive and creating opportunities for others.
He remarked, “It’s exciting for me to learn everything because this is what I wanted.” “This is what I wanted—I wanted to be challenged.”