New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is not giving in on the public outcry for Immanuel Quickley to be elevated as the team's starting point guard.
Shortly after the Knicks dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers, 102-81, at Madison Square Garden on Friday, the 63-year-old tactician addressed why being in the first five is a non-issue in his system.
“There's always thought with everything. Because someone doesn't start, that's really not that important to me. It's having groups that play well together, and you can always finish with the people that you feel has the best chance to win the game. Whatever the game calls for, we try to take advantage of that. We're always looking for different line-ups and what works best,” the Knicks coach said.
“He's (Immanuel Quickley) gonna have a significant role, but we need everyone. Tonight was his night, tomorrow night can be someone else's.”
"Because someone doesn't start, that's really not important to me"
Tom Thibodeau addresses the prospect of Immanuel Quickley starting and talks about the desire to find the groups that play the best together pic.twitter.com/2p5l3zgTqU
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 30, 2021
The clamor for Quickley to become a starter has been going on since the beginning of the season. The 25th overall selection of last year's draft, after all, has been outplaying other lottery picks from his class so far. The call has only gotten stronger on Friday after the 21-year-old Knicks playmaker put up a team-high 25 points on 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-7 from deep against the Cavs. He also erupted for a career-high 31 points against the Portland Trail Blazers earlier in the week.
Coach Thibs, meanwhile, remains unfazed. Apart from being a defensive mastermind, Thibodeau is perhaps best known for not giving rookies significant playing time. The fact that Quickley has carved a spot in the Knicks rotation filled with other talented guards is quite an impressive feat in itself.
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