New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had high praise for Immanuel Quickley during his zoom media session after Wednesday’s training camp practice.
Lights Out Shooter
“he can shoot the ball as well as anyone in the league”
– Tom Thibodeau
“The one thing is he’s got a great skill already, he can shoot the ball as well as anyone in the league,” Thibs said. “He’s a great shooter. Now it’s learning all the other parts of the league and his team. The defensive part is usually the biggest adjustment for guys coming in. Then, of course, understanding the tendencies of the players and the teams and learning his teammates.”
“The college game is very different from the NBA game. So there’s an adjustment period that you go through. But I love his enthusiasm, great work ethic, great student of the game. He’s in early, he stays late, he comes back at night. He does all the thing you would like a rookie to do.”
From all indications, Quickley has the right mindset and attitude heading into his rookie season with the Knicks.
The Knicks ranked among the league’s lowest in 3-point percentage last season, so if his shot translates to the NBA, he could be an integral part of this team moving forward. It’s a great sign that coach Thibs already thinks Quickley can shoot with the best of them.
Best in the League
Quickley also spoke to the media after practice and said, even though he’s a rookie, he has a leg-up since he’s already a sharpshooter.
“I want to be one of the best players”
– Immanuel Quickley
“Especially with the way the game is played today, it’s basically five guys that can shoot the basketball,” Quickley said. “I feel like that opens up driving angles and then you can drive and kick, create passing angles from there and just play as a team. A great shot is your best transition defense, so being able to shoot the ball, that sets up everything.”
Quickley learned about Thibs’ comment about his shooting during the media session and responded by saying he wants to be not only one of the best shooters in the league, but best players.
“I feel like I work at it, so if you’re not trying to be the best at what you do – not only just shooting, I want to be one of the best players,” Quickley said. “So I’m just coming in from the ground up and trying to work my way up. But my ultimate goal is to be one of the better players. I feel like I can shoot the ball with the best of them. I don’t feel like that’s all I can do. I feel like I’ll be able to show a lot more on this level. So I’m just really excited to get started.”
Check out CP’s latest live stream below where he broke down the latest news coming out of Knicks training camp.
