Immanuel Quickley named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

After not making the Rookie of the Year ballot, IQ was still honored for his excellent first season in the NBA.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, New York “Kentucky” Knicks rookie, Immanuel Quickley, has been named to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

2020-21 NBA All-Rookie teams:

First team: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Saddiq Bey, Jae'Sean Tate

Second team: Immanuel Quickley, Desmond Bane, Isaac Okoro, Isaiah Stewart, Patrick Williams

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 18, 2021

Quickley joins Desmond Bane (Grizzlies), Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers), Isaiah Stewart (Pistons), and Patrick Williams (Bulls) on the Second Team. LaMelo Ball (Hornets; ROY), Anthony Edwards (Grizzlies), Tyrese Haliburton (Kings), Saddiq Bey (Pistons), and Jae’Sean Tate (Rockets) were the five who made the First Team.

Despite being drafted 25th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and the Knicks being given a “D+” rating by so-called experts for taking Quickley, he sure has panned out quite nicely so far. During his inaugural season in New York, the former ‘Cat averaged 11.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 19.4 minutes per outing, coming mostly off the bench as an offensive spark plug. Quickley shot just 39.5 percent from the field overall but went 38.9 percent from beyond the arc and 89.1 percent from the free-throw line.

By my count, Quickley is the 15th Kentucky player to make an All-Rookie Team under head coach John Calipari. Here are the others.

1st Teamers

Karl-Anthony Towns (2015-16), Devin Booker (2015-16), Nerlens Noel (2014-15), Anthony Davis (2012-13), Brandon Knight (2011-12), DeMarcus Cousins (2010-11), and John Wall (2010-11).

2nd Teamers

Tyler Herro (2019-20), P.J. Washington (2019-20), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2018-19), Jamal Murray (2016-17), Willie Cauley-Stein (2015-16), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012-13), and Eric Bledsoe (2010-11).