The numbers for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley in Toronto look eerily just like the stat strains they posted in a few of their finest seasons with the Knicks — nevertheless it’s clear these aren’t the identical gamers who as soon as wore orange and blue. They’re higher now. Extra mature. Extra polished variations of the Knicks youngsters who as soon as danced throughout Madison Sq. Backyard’s hardwood flooring.
Barrett, for instance, missed Sunday’s matchup in opposition to his former crew with a proper knee sprain, however via his first 17 video games of the season, he averaged 19.4 factors, 4.8 rebounds and three.8 assists. In New York, his finest years fluctuated between 18 and 20 factors per recreation earlier than the Dec. 30, 2023 commerce that despatched him to the Raptors.
The identical holds true for Quickley, the lightning-rod guard the Knicks didn’t need to pay prime greenback with Jalen Brunson entrenched at level guard. Quickley averaged 15 factors per recreation in his finest New York seasons. He’s at 15.8 per recreation in Toronto.
However development doesn’t at all times present itself in scoring.
Barrett should be hovering across the 20-point mark, however he’s doing it with far higher effectivity — taking pictures almost 50 p.c in additional than 100 video games as a Raptor in comparison with 42.2 p.c throughout nearly 300 video games with the Knicks.
“Those two guys, obviously, we got them, they were like 23 at the time, 24. They grew up a lot since that time. Obviously, RJ coming back and playing in Toronto is a big deal for him and his family. He’s playing with extra juice for Toronto fans,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned. “And both of them, they were able to make a huge jump and really improve on both ends of the floor. We’re really happy with those two guys.”
Quickley’s evolution is much more dramatic. He’s grow to be a authentic playmaker — averaging 6.3 assists per recreation, greater than double his three-dime common in New York, whereas taking part in solely seven extra minutes per evening. His three-point effectivity is up. His steals are up. His command of the offense has leveled up.
“As leaders of a team, as competitors, both of them, they made huge strides with their bodies. They got stronger, they got in better shape,” Rajakovic mentioned. “Quickley is establishing himself as a point guard and he was more of a two-guard when he was playing [in New York] and joined us. So that’s a big transition when you change positions and from coming off the bench to becoming a starter in this league.”
Rajakovic pointed to 2 particular areas of enchancment because the Knicks traded their homegrown cornerstones to Toronto in alternate for OG Anunoby, Treasured Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. Achiuwa and Flynn have since moved on. Anunoby missed Sunday’s recreation with a hamstring pressure.
“Immanuel improved his defense on the ball dramatically. He’s one of the best defensive players that we have now on the ball. Also very disruptive with his hands,” Rajakovic mentioned. “RJ’s shot selection is a little bit different. He’s getting much more to the rim, he’s doing catch-and-shoot 3s, he’s scoring more off cuts. Those two guys — they’re investing a lot in their individual and personal development and that’s affecting our whole team.”
KNICKS NEW O
Rajakovic is now the second straight opposing coach to notice a shift within the Knicks’ offensive id in comparison with the beginning of their first season below Mike Brown.
“I think it’s still early in the season. First 10 or 12 games, 15 games, whatever it was, they were running more. And now it looks like they’re settling into more personnel and how they’re playing more to the strengths of their players, trying at the same time to implement ball movement and body movement,” he mentioned. “Obviously, they are a very talented team, a lot of great players. So it’s the right thing to concentrate on the strengths of those guys and let them be who they are.”
On Friday, Milwaukee’s Doc Rivers mentioned New York had moved away from its early-season freelance, drive-and-kick strategy and leaned more durable into pick-and-roll actions that includes All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Cities. Rajakovic echoed that evaluation earlier than tipoff at The Backyard on Sunday.
“More pick and roll. Obviously, Towns is an amazing pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop player who is always creating dilemmas for teams, how to guard this, how to guard that,” he mentioned. “There’s also some more opportunities for drives for Towns on offense, so opening the space up more for him. And Brunson is such a talented player, he always finds a way to score. So it’s just being him.”
DEUCE ON HC
Brown mentioned Miles McBride is strictly who he thought he’d be when taking up the top teaching job — with one exception.
“I didn’t know he could shoot it as well as he does. He’s a high level shooter,” he mentioned. “Also, his work ethic is really high. So those two things are something I learned being around him.”
McBride is off to a career-best 42.7 p.c taking pictures clip from downtown this season, and he’s doing it whereas trying probably the most threes per recreation (5.9) of his profession.
