3 players who could break into Knicks starting lineup

New York Knicks player who could break into starting lineup: Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season. It’s only natural to wonder when he will make the leap to the starting five, especially with a lucrative extension on the horizon. The 24-year-old out of Kentucky is primed for another leap or two before his prime and the Knicks could conceivably amplify his role and minutes to facilitate such a leap.

For now, it’s more than likely that Quickley will remain in his sixth man role as the bench unit leader and backup point guard behind Brunson. The Knicks could be hesitant to start their two best ball-handlers, but staggering lineups is commonplace in today’s league and there are plenty of examples of successful lineups featuring two ball-handlers.

Quickley is equally adept with or without the basketball, of course. His 3-point touch is pillowy (37.0 percent on 5.6 attempts last season) and he’s comfortable shooting from a standstill or moving off screens. Attacking off the catch, Quickley frequently blitzes out-of-rotation defenders with his blinding first step. To tie it all together, he’s a tremendous defensive playmaker for his position and another Knicks guard who can defend taller (and bulkier) players due to his surprising core strength.

There’s a strong case that Quickley is the third or fourth-best player on the team already and he’s still improving. The Knicks are, again, uncharacteristically deep. Quentin Grimes by no means deserves to lose his spot in the starting five. The weakest link might be R.J. Barrett, a former No. 3 pick with four years and $107 million left on his contract. Thibs and the Knicks suffer from an abundance of options, but Quickley would start on a lot of teams around the league and he’s positioned for an eventual promotion as New York gears up to pay him.