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After a choppy start to his first NBA Summer League, Immanuel Quickley got the perfect advice from New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Just be yourself,” Quickley revealed.
And he looked like the Quickley the Knicks stole with the 25th pick in last year’s NBA Draft who was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.
After a brutal 5-for-17 shot in the Knicks’ 89-79 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Quickley rebounded in strength with a 32-point high built around 11 of 21 field goals. He was perfect six-on-six from the line and added eight assists against a single turnover. The Kentucky goalie also made two interceptions in a solid game on both ends of the field.
“In the last game I was kind of trying to find my way and get everyone involved,” Quickley said. “In this game I try to do both a little bit but just a little more aggressive, helping my teammates and being more of a leader.”
Quickley did much of the damage in the second half, dropping 23 points and six assists where the Knicks edged the Pacers by 11 points.
Obi Toppin, who fed off Quickley’s point guard, had another solid outing with 22 points and nine rebounds but had five turnovers. Toppin started the game aggressively and a little out of control. In the first quarter, he made four of the Knicks’ 10 turnovers and missed three baskets around the rim, including a missed dunk on his first attempt. But once he settled in and played into the flow of things, the second-year forward was a wrecking ball.
Two days after the Knicks’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, Quickley and Toppin are reportedly back in the gym.
“That’s what the culture of the Knicks is – work hard, enjoy the job and get better,” Quickley said. “We’re really excited for the Summer League team. We are really excited for the next season. We just want to keep improving and take the necessary steps to move forward. “
The Knicks prioritized Quickley more reps as a point guard in his first Summer League game. So far, the support-to-revenue ratio of 8.0 / 2.0 had been impressive.
Meanwhile, fan favorite Jericho Sims remained perfect in the NBA Summer League with an eight-point, nine-rebound effort. He was 4-for-4 on the court after being 6-for-6 in his debut. Sims, who signed a two-way deal for two years for Spotrac’s Keith Smith, was a revelation.
“He’s played a phenomenal role in running and catching lobs in traffic,” NBA independent scout Tony Coleman told Empire Sports Media. “He’s playing solid defense on the other side of the ball. It is definitely a steal IMHO.
Coleman is in Las Vegas for his reconnaissance trip.
Lithuanian goaltender Rokas Jokubaitis, the Knicks’ 36th pick, also made his Knicks debut with three points and an assist in nine minutes. He had more playing time than Luca Vildoza, who didn’t score a goal in four minutes but managed to recover a rebound and steal.
Knicks first-round pick Quentin Grimes had another tough shooting game with six points on a 2-on-10 shot in almost 35 minutes. Facing Chris Duarte, target of the NBA Draft Day, Grimes committed five faults. Duarte got off to a solid start, filling the stat sheet with 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and two shooting blocks. Duarte, 24, played with such poise and shot 4 of 8 from the field, including 3 of 7 from deep.
The Knicks’ other second-round pick, Miles McBride, put an exclamation mark on their victory and his impressive play with a dunk. With Thibodeau in attendance, McBride showed the tenacity and tenacity that made the Knicks coach fall in love with his game.
McBride dispersed 14 points (5 of 7 from the field), three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
The Knicks will be back in action Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
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