Immanuel Quickley

Atlantic Notes: Achiuwa, Hartenstein, Lowry, Barnes, Quickley

February 24th, 2024 at 11:23am CST by Tristan Tucker

Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa took over the starting power forward position over the past 10 games in Julius Randle‘s absence and has played some of the best basketball of his career during that stretch, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Achiuwa is averaging 14.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks in his last 10 outings, including three games with more than 15 rebounds.

Achiuwa flew under the radar when he was moved to New York in the trade for OG Anunoby, but he’s been one of the team’s steadiest contributors after uneven stops in Miami and Toronto to begin his career, Katz writes. Playing under coach Tom Thibodeau has unlocked aspects of Achiuwa’s game, including effective fake dribble handoffs.

“You knew there was versatility to his game,” Thibodeau said. “But we didn’t understand the dribble handoff part of it, all those things. And the offensive rebounding is something that we liked from the start. We knew he was very effective with that.”

The Knicks will have some decisions to make once Randle returns to the lineup, but Achiuwa is making a strong case to be included in a fully healthy rotation, according to Katz.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein returned to the court on Thursday after missing three games with injury. However, according to New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Hartenstein left the arena with “a little frustration” about his minutes because they differed from his ramp-up plan. Hartenstein said he was supposed to hit the 21-minute mark but he only played 11 in a win over the Sixers.
Kyle Lowry made his debut with the Sixers on Thursday, scoring 11 points, four rebounds and five assists while receiving a standing ovation in front of his hometown crowd. “It was an amazing atmosphere and the ovation that I got was awesome. I was happy,” Lowry said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I was pissed that we lost and we were in that situation, but it was a great moment. Now for me it’s about winning basketball games.” Lowry was born in Philadelphia and played college ball at Villanova.
When the Raptors acquired Immanuel Quickley, they added an athletic guard who can shoot the ball — an ideal complement on paper to star Scottie Barnes. While there have been some bright spots with the pairing, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen observes that it’s still a work in progress. Each player is playing individually well, but Toronto is looking for more synchronicity with the duo, per Koreen.

Atlantic Notes: Ollie, Thomas, Beverley, Lowry, Raptors

February 22nd, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Ollie will offer some strategic changes when he makes his debut as head coach of the Nets tonight in Toronto, but he’s focused mainly on bringing a new attitude to the team, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Ollie, who came to Brooklyn as an assistant at the start of the season, was promoted to the job on an interim basis after Jacque Vaughn was fired Monday.

“The biggest thing is playing for each other and making the right plays,” Ollie said. “Not being selfish, getting the ball to the guys that we need to get the ball to in their right spots where they can be very successful. Just playing the right way, and we need to do that more consistently. So that’s not a scheme change or anything, that’s just playing better basketball, doing simple better.”

Ollie is expected to emphasize better spacing on offense, Lewis adds. That has been a problem, especially in the limited time that Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton have been on the court together. Lewis notes that Brooklyn is minus-34 and is shooting just 42.6% as a team in the duo’s 69 total minutes this season.

“You have to be able to space, you have to be able to cut, you have to be able to play together. We have to get out and rebound and get stops so they can play with pace and play in transition offense,” Ollie said. “So all those things count. But when it gets bogged down in a half-court situation, we haven’t had that situation where one’s up, one’s down and how they play off each other is crucial. So that’s why it’s so good for practice time.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

With Ollie in charge of the Nets, Cam Thomas should get a fresh chance to prove that he’s worthy of a starting role, Lewis states in a separate story. The explosive guard is averaging 21.2 PPG, but Vaughn often limited his playing time due to concerns about defense and energy. Thomas thought the report of a coaching change was a prank when he read about it on the internet, and he didn’t believe the story until general manager Sean Marks confirmed it. “We didn’t get enough wins. … And [we were] dropping some games, not playing as hard,” Thomas said. “It’s on both parties, coaches, players, front office, everybody. Got to look at yourself in the mirror; so that’s just what we got to do.”
Patrick Beverley has been taking shots at his former team on his podcast since being traded to Milwaukee, but the Sixers are choosing to ignore them, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Nick Nurse and Kyle Lowry, who’s taking over Beverley’s role in Philadelphia, have been among the targets. “I’m not a podcast watcher, but he’s a friend of mine and that’s his competitive nature,” Lowry said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play against him, as always.”
Eric Koreen of The Athletic looks at late-season storylines to watch for the Raptors, including whether tanking will be an option, the roles for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, and which players will show that they should be re-signed this summer.

Raptors Notes: Young, Poeltl, Quickley, Barrett, Gasol

February 1st, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Filling in at small-ball center with Jakob Poeltl sidelined with a sprained ankle, Raptors forward Thaddeus Young had perhaps his best game of the 2023/24 season in Tuesday’s victory over his former team, the Bulls, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

At 35 years old and in his 17th NBA season, Young finished with 16 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes while battling traditional centers in Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond. Young had only made seven cameo appearances this season prior to Poeltl’s injury, but has appeared in 11 straight games since.

“They’re two big guys who know how to rebound, very physical,” Young said of Vucevic and Drummond. “Takes a toll on you. But one thing I’m willing to do is fight with them and do the job that’s needed to be done. For me, it’s always about the battle. I enjoy the competition level. So for me, I’m willing to take whatever challenge there is, whether it’s me guarding guards, guarding my position or playing center.

“I don’t pay too much attention to that. Yeah, I’m 35 years old. But that’s young in regular life. When you play over 1,000 basketball games, that’s old to everybody else. But I just continue to play and show that I can play at a high level. As long as I’m able to do that, I’ll continue to play.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Young has drawn praise from his head coach and teammates for his leadership, professionalism, diligent work ethic, and ability to produce when called upon, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. The longtime veteran says his family has pushed him to play for a few more years, but he plans to discuss his future with them again when the time comes. Young is playing on expiring $8MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. “As the years go by, (TJ, Young’s oldest son) gets older (13), and I definitely want to start putting a lot of time and work into him, making sure that I give him the same opportunities I had,” Young said, per Koreen. “This is something I have to sit down with my family and talk about. They’ve been saying, ‘Go to Year 20. You can do it.’ Physically, yeah, I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong. I’m healthy, I can continue to go. But at that point, it’s just a matter of how much longer I want to play.”
Poeltl has missed the past 11 games with the ankle sprain, but Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca says the Austrian big man’s return is “likely imminent,” noting that the former No. 9 overall pick has been full speed in workouts for nearly a week. Poeltl has shown his value to Toronto in part because the team has struggled mightily without him — as Grange observes, the Raptors are just 2-9 without Poeltl this season.
In another story for The Athletic, Koreen writes that Poeltl’s injury has made it difficult for the new-look roster to jell. The Raptors want Immanuel Quickley, who has missed the past three games with a quad injury, to develop chemistry with Poeltl, but they’ve only played four games together thus far. Another new addition, RJ Barrett (knee swelling), has also missed the past two games. Poeltl and Quickley were full practice participants on Thursday, but Barrett did not do contact work (Twitter link via Koreen). The Raptors’ next game is Friday in Houston, and all three players are currently considered questionable, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
Marc Gasol officially retired on Wednesday, prompting Raptors vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri to release a statement regarding the longtime veteran center, who started for Toronto when the team won the championship in 2019. “Marc has a special place in the hearts and memories of Toronto and of Canada,” Ujiri said. “He’s a champion on the court, where his unbelievable vision and masterful defense were key parts of our run to the 2019 title. He’s a champion in life too, with important contributions to communities around the world through the Gasol Foundation. He’s a three-time All-Star, first team All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Olympic silver medalist and, I believe, undisputed winner of best performance in the history of championship parades. Marc, the Raptors honor your grit and grind and we send you and your family our thanks and our best, warmest wishes for a happy retirement.”

Trade Rumors: Gafford, Grimes, Wizards, Raptors, Jazz, Bridges

January 26th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards are among the teams with interest in Knicks wing Quentin Grimes, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who also confirms that Washington center Daniel Gafford remains on New York’s radar. A report a couple weeks ago indicated that the Knicks had inquired on Gafford.

With Isaiah Hartenstein playing well in a starting role, Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims providing depth at the five, and Mitchell Robinson possibly on track to return before the season is over, the Knicks might already be set up front.

However, Robinson’s return this season isn’t a certainty and Hartenstein has missed the past two games with an injury of his own (left Achilles tendinopathy), so it sounds as if the Knicks haven’t ruled out the possibility of pursuing another frontcourt player. Still, if Hartenstein is back in the lineup within a week or so and feels good, I wouldn’t expect a center – especially one like Gafford, who wouldn’t be cheap – to be a focus at the deadline.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Acquiring draft picks will be a top priority for the Wizards on the trade market, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, noting that the team wasn’t able to extract a first-rounder in its offseason deals involving Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Monte Morris. Drafting and developing players is a specialty for multiple Wizards executives, including GM Will Dawkins and VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk, Windhorst observes, so the club has a “mandate” to restock its draft assets.
The Raptors remain open for business, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett are believed to be off-limits, but anyone else could be on the table. Lewenberg identifies Dennis Schröder, Gary Trent, Chris Boucher, and Bruce Brown as the team’s top trade candidates and doesn’t close the door on the possibility of a Jakob Poeltl deal.
Outside of Lauri Markkanen, who is virtually untouchable, Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk are the Jazz players generating the most trade interest, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic. Jones adds that the Knicks are among the team showing the most interest in Clarkson.
As his name pops up in trade rumors, Hornets forward Miles Bridges tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer that his preference would be to remain in Charlotte. “Like I said before, the Hornets have been behind me and I want to stay here,” Bridges said. “I want to be here and that’s never going to change. So, as much talk as people hear that’s going around, just know that I want to stay with the Hornets.” If that’s truly what he wants, he has the power to make it happen, given that he has the right to veto any trade involving him this season.

Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Deadline Primer, Trade Tiers, Quickley

January 25th, 2024 at 3:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl was able to go through portions of Wednesday’s practice but he still hasn’t been cleared for contact work, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said Poeltl is working on his conditioning after being out since January 7 with a left ankle sprain, and the Austrian big man is considered day-to-day.

Toronto reacquired Poeltl last February, when the team sent out its 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected) to San Antonio. Poeltl, who has averaged 10.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.4 BPG in 36 games this season, re-signed with the Raptors on a four-year, $78MM deal last summer.

The roster looks a lot different now than it did last year, with veterans Fred VanVleet (signed with Houston in free agency), OG Anunoby (traded to New York) and Pascal Siakam (traded to Indiana) all on new teams. Poeltl said it was difficult to see Siakam go, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link).

“It was tough because he was the guy I was closest to on this team,” Poeltl said of Siakam. “… I guess I was mentally prepared for it a little bit already because there were so many rumors… but it’s still really sad for me to basically lose my best friend on the team.”

With Toronto now focused on developing its young players rather than competing for a playoff spot, Lewenberg asked Poeltl if the team’s change of direction made him question the decision to re-sign or ponder his future with the Raptors (Twitter link).

“Not necessarily,” Poeltl said. “The only thing that was important to me is that I was on a team that could play competitive basketball. As long as it’s not a team that was really actively trying to tank, I guess, was the thing for me. Like, I want to play on a team that’s trying to win every night.

“So, for me, even though had some changes and we lost some really good players, I think we’re still on a course where we’re trying to build around this team right now and were not hunting for a No. 1 draft pick, you know what I mean? So as long as that’s the case, I think I’m going to be happy here and I’m hoping to contribute to this new Raptors team, this new project that we’re starting.”

Here’s more on the Raptors, who are currently 16-28 after dropping seven of their past eight games:

On a related topic, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca wonders if fans should be cheering for the Raptors to lose for the remainder of 2023/24 in order to keep their first-round pick. As previously mentioned, Toronto will only keep the pick if it lands in the top six of the upcoming draft; in that scenario, the Spurs would be owed the Raptors’ 2025 first-rounder, with the same top-six protection. On the other hand, Grange notes that the 2025 draft is viewed by scouts and executives as having more top-end talent compared to 2024; the No. 7 or No. 8 pick in ’25 could be end up being quite a bit more valuable than a top-six pick this year.
Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca recently released a trade deadline primer that covers Toronto’s cap situation, draft assets, player assets, exceptions, restrictions (newly acquired players can’t be aggregated with other salaries), and more.
The only “untouchable” player on Toronto’s roster is Scottie Barnes, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who believes the third-year forward will sign a rookie scale max extension this summer. Koreen also thinks “it would be aggressively weird” if RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Jordan Nwora or Kira Lewis were traded. Veterans like Bruce Brown, Gary Trent Jr., Dennis Schröder, Chris Boucher and Poeltl fall into Koreen’s “Selling with hopes of a return” trade tier, though he doesn’t think Poeltl will actually be moved.
Starting guard Quickley has been ruled out for Friday’s contest with the Clippers due to a thigh bruise, Murphy tweets. Quickley, acquired from New York in the Anunoby deal, is averaging 16.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 6.1 APG through 12 games (31.8 MPG) as a Raptor. The 24-year-old will be traveling on the upcoming six-game road trip, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star (Twitter link), which suggests it may be a short-term injury.

Raptors Notes: Brown, Rebuilding, Barrett, Quickley, Boucher

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown‘s life has been a whirlwind over the past week and it might not slow down for a while, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. After picking up his championship ring January 14 in Denver, Brown arrived at Pacers’ practice on Wednesday and learned he had been traded to Toronto. He took his physical a day later and played that night. On Friday, he was on a plane with his new teammates for Saturday’s game in New York.

Brown may be on the move again, as he’s still a popular trade target ahead of the February 8 deadline. He told Grange that he expected to remain with Indiana all season, but he knew the contract he signed last summer, which includes a $23MM team option for 2024/25, made him a candidate to be dealt.

“Did I think I was gonna be [in Indiana] the whole year? Yes,” Brown said. “But obviously, the second year is a team option. But signing the deal I knew it was going to be maybe I stay, maybe they get off the deal. I knew at some point, something would happen. But when the season started I knew something would happen just because of how good [the Pacers] were doing and how they’re trying to maximize [Tyrese Haliburton’s] time there. I was told they weren’t trying to move me, but I was a big part of the deal [for Pascal Siakam], so …”

There’s more from Toronto:

The Raptors will need to be patient after trading Siakam for what amounts to future assets, observes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. While Brown has immediate value, there’s no guarantee he’ll be with the organization past the deadline. Jordan Nwora and Kira Lewis provide bench depth, but they’re both young and will need consistent minutes to develop into reliable players. Murphy adds that while the organization isn’t embarking on a traditional rebuilding process, the 2025/26 season is probably the earliest that it will be playoff relevant again.
RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and OG Anunoby all seem to be in better spots in the wake of last month’s trade with the Knicks, observes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. After the teams met Saturday in New York, Koreen noted that Anunoby’s three-and-D skills fit best on a contender, while Barrett and Quickley can take on a larger role in the offense without having to accommodate Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Toronto is exploring trades involving Chris Boucher, who is the last player remaining from the 2019 title team, Murphy said on “The Raptors Show” pocdast (Twitter link from Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports).

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Achiuwa, Hartenstein, Trade Rumors

January 21st, 2024 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

There were good vibes in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as Knicks fans gave Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett a warm welcome in their return to New York as Raptors, then watched stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle lead the home team to a dominant 126-100 victory. After the game, Brunson and Randle both spoke about how much they enjoyed playing with Quickley and Barrett, who said they appreciated the reception they received from Knicks fans.

“Love those two. Being teammates with them the past couple of years has been special,” Brunson said of Barrett and Quickley, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “Great character dudes. They both work really hard. Everything you want in a franchise player. Toronto has a couple good dudes over there. I wish them nothing but the best.”

“Those guys are special talents,” Randle added, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “It’s a special relationship I’ve built with them. I know they talk about how much I meant to them, but they mean a lot to me, to be honest. Talking about leadership, how I carry myself, how to be open, how to be honest, how to be motivated — those are things I didn’t necessarily have coming in vocally. I always wanted to lead by example, just play hard every night. But those guys with me brought a different side out of me. … The relationship that I have with them is extremely special.”

While Quickley and Barrett are missed by their former teammates, Saturday’s game was a reminder of why trading them was the right move, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. As Bondy notes, OG Anunoby continues to show he’s a perfect fit alongside the Knicks’ ball-dominant players, who have been on a tear this month.

Following a 38-point showing on Saturday, Brunson has now averaged 28.9 points and 8.4 assists per game since the arrival of Anunoby, who in turn has been an NBA-best +190 during his time on the court as a Knick. Randle had a triple-double in Saturday’s victory and has put up 25.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 5.1 APG since Anunoby’s debut.

Here’s more out of New York:

While Anunoby continues to be lauded by his play for the Knicks – including by super-fan Spike Lee, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca details – another former Raptor had a big night vs. his former team on Saturday. Precious Achiuwa established new season highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes of action, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post.
Achiuwa was playing an increased role due to the fact that starting center Isaiah Hartenstein left the game in the third quarter with an ankle issue. According to Bondy (Twitter link), head coach Tom Thibodeau called it as a sprain, though the team later referred to it as just “sore.” Whether or not Hartenstein has to miss time as a result of the injury, Bondy expects Jericho Sims to see more playing time. Sims logged three minutes on Saturday after sitting out the past five games.
Discussing some of the potential trade targets who have been linked to the Knicks, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) says the Jazz‘s asking price for Jordan Clarkson is very high and that he hasn’t heard anything to suggest that the Knicks and Trail Blazers have had serious talks about Malcolm Brogdon.
On the other hand, Begley keeps hearing “again and again” that New York has strong interest in Raptors guard Bruce Brown. Asked on Saturday about those rumors, as well as the belief that Thibodeau is a fan of his play, Brown said he has “nothing but respect” for the Knicks’ head coach and can do “just about whatever [Thibodeau] needs me to do,” per Schwartz. “I play extremely hard,” he said. “I would think [I’m] the type of player that he likes.”

Raptors Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Barnes, Draft Pick

January 20th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors forward RJ Barrett is hoping for a friendly reception from fans tonight in his first-ever road game at Madison Square Garden, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. The Knicks were in the middle of a road trip when Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were sent to Toronto as part of a five-player trade on December 30, so this marks the first time back in New York City for either player since the deal. Barrett has fond memories of the four-plus seasons he spent with the Knicks, and he hopes the city feels the same way.

“I think the one thing [I appreciated most here] was the fans,” Barrett said. “Sold out every night, it’s like a show at the Garden, with all the lights and everything that goes on. So I was always appreciative of that, I always loved playing in the Garden. But [Saturday] I’ll be a visitor, and I’m excited to see what that’s like.”

Quickley has been given a larger role with the Raptors than he had in New York, Botte adds. Even though he was runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year honors last season, coach Tom Thibodeau was only playing him 24 minutes per night before the deal. Quickley has become a starter in Toronto and is averaging career highs of 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 10 games.

“I don’t cry during movies, so I’d probably say not that much,” Quickley responded when asked if he expects returning to the Garden to be emotional, “but this one will be — I’ma try not to cry.”

There’s more on the Raptors:

Quickley believes he developed “thick skin” from dealing with the New York media and the expectations of Knicks fans, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. He still keeps in touch with his former teammates and says he understands why he was traded. “Business of basketball,” Quickley said. “The Knicks made a decision. And not really much you can do about it. Expecting to play a basketball game [that night against the Pacers] and didn’t.”
Barrett and Scottie Barnes both received an A-minus as Eric Koreen of The Athletic handed out his mid-season grades for the Raptors. Koreen cites Barnes’ improvement as a shooter as the most positive development for the team and says Barrett has been a perfect partner for him in transition.
Indiana’s own 2024 first-round pick that Toronto received in the Pascal Siakam trade is top-three protected, so it won’t convey in the unlikely event that the Pacers miss the playoffs and get lucky in the lottery. If that happens, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link), the Raptors would receive Indiana’s second-round pick in 2025 and the least favorable 2024 second-rounder among the Pacers, Jazz and Cavaliers.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Grimes, Anunoby, Barrett, Quickley

January 19th, 2024 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Josh Hart sat out Thursday’s victory over Washington due to left knee soreness, which the team referred to as patellar tendinopathy, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.

Hart, who described himself as day-to-day, said it’s an issue that has affected him in past seasons, but that it popped up earlier than usual this year after a shortened summer that included a stint with Team USA.

“I’m not surprised with how it feels. Normally, once you get later in the season, Game 50-ish, 55-60 you start kind of feeling it,” Hart said. “Then you have a little All-Star break so you can kind of rest for some days and then get back into it. So I’m not surprised with the shorter summer that it’s kind of starting to bite me in the butt a little bit a little earlier than it normally does. But it’s not something that is too serious.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

With multiple reports indicating that the Knicks have made Quentin Grimes available via trade, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) identifies a few of the teams that have expressed interest in the third-year wing, suggesting that the Jazz, Hawks, Rockets and Grizzlies are potential suitors for Grimes.
Barbara Barker of Newsday argues that Tom Thibodeau has earned a contract extension from the Knicks, not only for the success the team has had on the court in recent years but for the way he has helped change the culture around the franchise.
Former teammate Fred VanVleet views OG Anunoby as an “absolutely perfect” fit for the Knicks, he said on Wednesday, according to Botte. “Thibs is gonna love him, obviously. But I think more than that, with all those Villanova guys you got over here, he fits right into that mold, a similar type of personality and player,” VanVleet said. “I think he’s a great fit for their team, and you could see it right away the way he plugged right in and was able to have success. Definitely, I think New York is gonna love him.”
Former Knicks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, who will face their old team on Saturday for the first time since being traded to Toronto last month, spoke ahead of their return about how much their time in New York meant to them, per Steve Popper of Newsday. Barrett said he’ll have “mixed emotions” being back in Madison Square Garden, since it was “definitely difficult” to leave the place where he spent the first four-and-a-half NBA seasons, even though he’s enjoying playing for his hometown Raptors.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Raptors, Harris, Thibodeau

January 14th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Raptors starting point guard Immanuel Quickley is looking to an All-NBA superstar as a point of reference for his expanded role on Toronto, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley has been watching game tape on Warriors point guard Stephen Curry.

“To see someone 6-foot-3, 190 pounds winning an MVP, it makes you ask yourself: ‘Why can’t I be great? If you have the work ethic, why can’t you go out and accomplish great things?’” Quickley said. “It’s always great to see great players do well, especially players who have the same kind of body type as you, it’s just cool to see that.”

Curry, meanwhile, had high praise for Quickley.

“He’s got so much potential in this league and the change of the scenery will be fresh for him,” Curry said. “He’s got a nice responsibility as a starting point guard now.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

These revamped Raptors are struggling on defense without OG Anunoby or Precious Achiuwa, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. In Koreen’s view, one part of the problem is the team’s decision to frequently play Quickley alongside reserve point guard Dennis Schröder, in undersized backcourt lineups.
Against the Kings on Friday, Sixers power forward Tobias Harris reminded Philadelphia fans why the team to sign him to a five-year, $180MM contract in 2019, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. His 37-point night vs. Sacramento came on the heels of a 32-point performance on Wednesday against the Hawks, marking the first time in his NBA career he has scored 30+ points in two straight games. With Embiid ailing from a sore left knee, Harris has taken on a bigger role in his team’s scoring attack.
After claiming his 500th career victory as a head coach, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reflected on the retirement of 24-year Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “Growing up in New England, I appreciate what he brought, and what he did there was just incredible,” Connecticut native Thibodeau said. “That’s the mark of greatness to do it the way he did it for as long as he did. I grew up thinking the Patriots never win and then my nephews grew up thinking the Patriots win every year. So it’s completely different perspective. But I think a lot of coaches learn from him — coaching is leadership. He’s incredible. He’s at the top of my list.”

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