We’re just approaching the All-Star Break into the NBA Season and there’s already been much to talk about, from Brooklyn’s Big 3 to how the health and safety protocols are impacting everyone league wide. With the new season as well as the New Year, we here at SneakerReporter present to you a new segment to the platform, The Next Hot Hand.
__________________________________________________
Typically fans and media alike tend to focus in on the premier, quintessential names around the league like the LeBron James’ and the Kevin Durants’, and rightfully so. However with the league getting younger and younger as the season’s come and go, The Next Hot Hand we will be highlighting the league’s underdogs and up-and-coming talents with a breakdown provided with their basketball career history thus far and an overall look at these individuals as players. With that all out of the way, now we take a look into our first subject of discussion in The Next Hot Hand, New York Knicks’ Rookie Guard, Immanuel Quickley.
__________________________________________________
Immanuel Quickley
Immanuel Quickley of Havre de Grace, Maryland has had a surprisingly quiet yet illustrious career leading up to the NBA, from scoring the bucket to win the BCL Championship as a sophomore in high school, which ultimately led him to receiving All-Metro Player of the Year recognition, to being a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school. After a year in Kentucky where he averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as a Freshman, he immediately flipped the switch going into his Sophomore season. Quickley ended the regular season with 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds, named 2020’s SEC Player of the Year as well as named to First-team All-SEC. With an impressive season and all the confidence in the world, Quickley declares for the 2020 NBA Draft to get selected as the 25th pick to play in the Mecca of Basketball, as a New York Knick.
Quickley gained the love of Knicks fans and teammates rather, well, quickly. It didn’t take long for him to adjust to the league, having scored a season/career high 31 points against the Portland Trailblazers only 18 games into the season. Everyone league wide has taken notice of the young 21 year-old, being seen and talked about on a multitude of media outlets. Teammate and first time All-Star Julius Randle took to New Orleans Pelicans’ Guard and NBA Veteran JJ Redicks’ podcast, The Old Man and the Three, and when was asked about Quickley, said,
“Dude works extremely hard. He’ll get shots up after the game. He’ll be early to the gym, he’ll stay late. And I don’t care who you are as a player, if you got that type of attitude/mindset, you’re gonna have a long career. That’s what I like about Quick (Quickley), his mindset and approach to the game of basketball.”
–Julius Randle
It is clear to us all that the New York Knicks have found themselves the epitome of a gym rat, in the best meaning of the phrase possible. There has been testament after testament regarding Quickley’s work ethic and drive to be the best basketball player he can be, especially now that he has the facilities and training staff to do so. According to reports, Quickley never really had a go to trainer prior to his time in the league, and it is because of this he found himself reaching out to YouTuber, NBA Playmaker, renowned trainer and overall hooper in Devin Williams (IN THE LAB). Williams holds an online series called The Academy, where he takes players worldwide and shows them a high level of learning when it comes to the game of basketball. If you know Devin Williams at all you would know that he has an exceptional basketball mind, and surely Quickley picked up a thing or two from such experiences.
Quickley has proven thus far that he is not only capable but he is confident that he belongs in the league, which can be said for all players. But being able to just look a little bit deeper into these players’ stories we see the dedication and work it takes to get to where they are. It seems quite apparent that Quickley has the potential to be a franchise player in the NBA, and with his ability to play and his drive to get better, that may just be something in the foreseeable future. Ultimately, this is just a minor look into his efforts as an NBA player and the fact that he is only in his first year truly shows that the sky is the limit for Immanuel Quickley, SneakerReporter’s first Next Hot Hand.
Recent Comments