The Knicks took home a win in their second game of Summer League, defeating the Indiana Pacers 94 to 86.
The Knicks’ second-year players took control of the game and led the way. Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley combined for 54 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds. Promising rookies followed their lead, providing feisty defense and good ball movement to help produce the win. The team is already taking on some of the characteristics that made us enjoy last season so much. There aren’t many selfish plays to find, but players aren’t afraid to attack and put their stamps on the action.
The team was far from perfect though. New York’s team defense is well behind their individual efforts, giving up close to 50% from three. A turnover-prone first half didn’t help either. There’s plenty of work to be done for the players with aspirations of breaking into the rotation. Let’s take a peek at the performances.
Sophomores lead the Knicks’ starting unit and everyone else
Immanuel Quickley: Immanuel Quickley bounced back in a big way after a shaky game against the Raptors. Quickley spent most of his first game seeking a rhythm between scoring and creating for others. This time around, he struck a perfect balance. IQ kept the Pacers defense off balance by mixing attacks of the dribble with playmaking for others. When the defense over-committed, Quickley responded with pull-up jumpers that left opponents on skates. He looked every part the best scorer on the floor and led all players in assists along the way.
Quickley put up 32 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 turnover on 11/21 from the field, 4/12 from three, and 6/6 from the free throw line. Quickley’s jumper was nearly unstoppable, even a chunk of his misses came on late shot-clock heaves. He put multiple defenders on skates with pull-up jumpers, most notably Chris Duarte right after the rookie finished an and-one and started talking. IQ responded to a Duarte bucket again, later in the quarter. Quickley scored at will and his teammates sought him for help, scoring, and guidance accordingly.
This was exactly what we wanted to see from Immanuel Quickley. He was one of the best rookies in the league last season and should dominate against Summer League competition. He did just that, and more importantly he ran a solid a offense from the point guard position. His ability to feed bigs stood out most of all, chemistry with Obi and Sims has developed fast.
Quentin Grimes: Quentin Grimes’ shot still isn’t falling, but he’s doing a lot of other things that contribute to winning. Grimes had a tough time guarding Chris Duarte, but he stayed aggressive on defense. The 25th pick couldn’t find his jumper but moved the ball well and helped clean up on the boards. It feels like a matter of when, not if Grimes will start knocking down shots.
Grimes spent 35 minutes tallying 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 turnover. He shot 2/10 from the field and 2/6 from the free throw line. He missed his shots off the dribble, but the addition of some playmaking helped keep his threat somewhat versatile. His shot selection isn’t bad, but his limitations are eerily reminiscent to Reggie bullock. If the playmaking can keep up, that will at least add a new wrinkle to a familiar play style.
It’s obvious what we’ll be looking for from Grimes going forward. He has to find his range to crack the NBA rotation. I’m more concerned about his lack of finishing inside though. I expect the first-rounder to start hitting shots, his form is clean and he’s aggressive with space. But his confidence in that jumper causes him to settle for pull-ups when he could be seeking lanes to the basket. I’d like to see some forays into the paint with intention to finish.
Wayne Selden: Wayne Selden played a solid game. He hit his shots and has been solid on defense in both games so far. Unfortunately, he’s a known commodity behind a massive line of guards with more upside. He played 15 minutes, going 3/4 on all three-point attempts. His 9 points and 1 assist wasn’t bad, but that’s all.
Obi Toppin: Obi Toppin made some mistakes, especially early in the game, but he was still one of the best players on the floor. Toppin’s finishing inside slipped as he missed some off-balance or rushed lay-up attempts. He made up for some of those misses by shooting the three ball with much more efficiency. Toppin also had some impressive moments with the ball in hand, from nice passes to beating a full-court press off the dribble. This wasn’t a perfect performance, but Obi still imposed his will.
Obi played 36 minutes, dropping 22 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 5 turnovers. He had some out of control moments, and a few where he just pressed a bit. That will come when a player is stepping up as focal point for the first time. He shot 8/20 from the field, 3/6 from three, and 3/3 from the free throw line. He looks comfortable out there. The days of skittish play and frenetic but confused energy seem passed us.
For Obi, the adjustments after this one are pretty simple. He needs to keep his balance on trips inside and be sure to go up strong. We’re seeing progress in his strength, ball handling, and poise. Now the sophomore needs to continue refining his game and build on his God given talents. If he shoots the three as comfortably as he did against Indiana, he could become a serious problem for defenses. He’ll attack bigs in space and off the dribble, while overpowering smaller defenders on switches. We could see a sophomore leap.
Jericho Sims: The wow factor from Game 1 hasn’t worn off, and Jericho Sims had another impressive performance. Sims continued his streak of perfect shooting, this time without the floaters but plenty of nice footwork and patience. Sims’ game has intriguing wrinkles all over the place. He’s a high flier with impressive strength, but his decision-making might be the most interesting aspect of his game. He had an alley-oop opportunity but brought the ball down for a more certain finish, at one point. He’ll pivot left and right with headfakes included to keep defenders off balance. The kid has some polish that the whole league slept on.
Sims finished 31 minutes with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 steal on 4/4 shooting and 0/2 from the free throw line. He may not have registered a block, but his verticality in the paint is certainly having an impact on slashers inside. On a nearly touch-by-touch basis, his game leaves me wondering how he slipped to the 58th pick. Even if his game were raw, the athleticism and build is worth a shot.
Right now the next step for Sims in summer league is more about showing us if there’s more to his bag. Rim running and protection is how he’ll cash his checks. He has already proven plenty adept in that area. But in just two games, we’ve already seen signs of touch from a bit further out and he’s even put the ball on the floor in space a couple of times. It’s summer league, the kid can take a few risks or try a couple of post-moves. He’s already proven himself to be worth our attention going forward. The other areas for improvement are pretty much cut and paste for every rookie big man. Physicality when the ball in the air, find box outs and make contact.
Deuce McBride continues to play well for the Knicks’ bench
Miles McBride: Miles McBride is a fun player to watch. He plays with a chip on his shoulder that compliments his competitive nature. Deuce doesn’t back down on defense and takes every touch with the intention to make something happen on offense. McBride got more opportunities on-ball, and he probed the driving lanes while mixing pull-ups with attacks inside.
McBride marked 25 minutes with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. He shot 5/7 from the field, 2/3 from three, and 2/3 from the free throw line. He knocked down three pointers and midrange shots alike. McBride’s aggressive nature shows up off the ball as well. He would seek to help ball-handlers by cutting into open space and showing whenever they needed help. He’s already showing promise on this Knicks roster as a two-way player.
McBride’s already shown enough to be happy with the pick. He’s shown upside as a scorer at all three levels. He’s a feisty defender who gets into the passing lanes as well. Another step would be to see him start picking up some assists. He has a confident handle and gets into the teeth of defense. He’s used that skill to score effectively through two games, but some playmaking is the next box to check.
Rokas Jokubaitis: We got our first look at Rokas Jokubaitis and his first minutes were “deer in headlights” personified. He stumbled into hot potato mode and turned the ball over. In the second half, he settled in and became more assertive. He still threw some risky passes, but also made some nice reads. He finished 9 minutes with 3 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers. I liked his constant attacks off the dribble to go with a drive-and-kick mentality. But at least early on, he seemed to be playing right at Summer League speed which will be a step behind the real deal. That might explain his draft and stash status. There’s a template there to build on, but he’ll need some more work.
Luca Vildoza: Luca Vildoza only rocked for 4 minutes and didn’t do much with the time. He missed a three, grabbed a board, and picked up 1 steal. I’m still giving him a pass after just arriving from a long flight.
Reid Travis: I’m not gonna throw a guy under the bus after his first summer league minutes. But suffice to say that I wasn’t happy with Reid Travis’ performance. He spent 11 minutes going 0/1 from the field with 1 board, 1 turnover and 3 fouls.
Letting the prospects get all the work with Daisuke Yoshimoto
Daisuke Yoshimoto:
The best compliment I can give a summer league coach is that he’s not doing anything to make me mad. Daisuke Yoshimoto gave the right players minutes and put together interesting combinations. That’s all that I can ask for. He’s letting Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley lead out there and they’ve embraced their roles. The rookies are getting plenty of time to play through mistakes too. We even saw Jokubaitis go from nervous in the first half to making some things happen in the second. Yoshimoto’s got a solid rotation going.
The Knicks running some weaves to start offensive sets was a fun sight. A heavy dose of three-guard sets really kept the ball moving. It’s more an endorsement of the culture that the entire team is building, but these kids are playing surprisingly selfless basketball for a summer league team. It’s a fun team, with a rotation that puts the focus on the players that matter most. Yoshimoto is doing a good job.
Closing Thoughts
I know I said the results don’t matter last time, but a Knicks win still feels sweet. That’s especially true as two sophomores are growing into leaders before our eyes. Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin were parts of the culture change last season, but they still looked like bright-eyed rookies most of the time. This summer league crew has handed them a collection of rookies and young players to guide and carry to victories. That they’ve embraced the roles and thrived so far is as much as anyone could ask for.
Watch a typical Summer League game. There are countless players chasing a contract or trying to prove something through sloppy play and unforced errors. The Knicks have a group that’s moving the ball and doing all of the small, effort-based things that create winning players. A lot of what we’re watching now is about potential. We look to see what a player might become in a few years with practice, reps, and maturity. But by focusing on Obi and Quickley, we have two examples of how this growth takes shape. We can see the sorts of rewards that a hard-working young player can reap in a short time. I’m excited for the next one Knicks fam! I’ll see you after the game.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and live streams throughout the Summer League! And check out CP’s latest live stream after the Knicks win below!
