After impressive rookie season, Immanuel Quickley already going off in NBA Summer League

It didn’t take long for Immanuel Quickley to make an impact in the NBA. After getting picked in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, he soon became a quality contributor for the New York Knicks.

In 64 games during his rookie season in 2020-21, Quickley averaged 11.4 points per contest and shot 89.1 percent at the free-throw line. Now, what does the 22-year-old former Kentucky standout have in store for his sophomore campaign?

Well, based on how Quickley is playing in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, he may be on the verge of even bigger things in the 2021-22 season.

In the Knicks’ Summer League opener against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Quickley tallied 15 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in a loss. Then on Monday, Quickley went off, scoring 32 points on 11-for-21 shooting while adding 8 assists in New York’s win over the Indiana Pacers.

32 for IQ ?

Immanuel Quickley drops 32 PTS and 8 AST to lead the @nyknicks to the #NBASummer win in Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/THXE64GJjX

— NBA (@NBA) August 9, 2021

Considering Quickley played so well during his rookie season, it may have been a bit surprising to see him go to Las Vegas for the Summer League. But if it leads to him taking his game to another level, it could be beneficial for the Knicks next season and beyond.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Quickley is already having NBA success. He played well during his two-year career at Kentucky, breaking out as a sophomore in 2019-20, when he averaged 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds over 30 games.

If Summer League is any indication of what the future may hold, then Quickley may have some exciting things in store soon enough.

Jake Rill

Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.