Prior to last season, I remember hearing in some basketball discussion circles about the high regard and expectations surrounding the Raptors guard, Immanuel Quickley. Drawing off a very generous pay extension earned in the 2024 offseason and the first, full season in Toronto to finally showcase his prowess as a starting point guard, it wasn't much of a stretch to suggest IQ could've potentially been in the Most Improved Player award conversations.
But alas, that was simply not the case, and it became unfortunately clear that Quickley struggled to stay healthy during the 2024-25 campaign, which largely derailed those high hopes for a career breakout.
In the aftermath of that murky season, given the expectations, you could say that IQ finds himself in that Brandon Ingram territory of being underrated, and the various angles involving Quickley throughout the offseason certainly reflect that. The health concerns and the crazy contract don’t help his case, but I also noticed that Quickley looked solid in the games he did play, and he seemed like a key piece when he was on the court last season. I even argued that Toronto’s playoff chances in last year’s campaign were impacted heavily influenced by IQ’s absence — he could have really been the difference-maker.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report NBA suggests this about Immanuel Quickley in his latest article titled "The 5 NBA Teams That Will Improve the Most Next Season": "Immanuel Quickley never really shook the injury bug either, and he's a great bet to put up a career year after averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 assists in 33 games last season."
Raptors could be sitting on a breakout star in Immanuel Quickley
One improvement I’ve emphasized as a key focus for Quickley going into next year is enhancing his playmaking. I know he won’t become a stellar playmaker overnight, but Quickley has already shown that he can be a smooth pick-and-roll operator. Continuing to recognize when his teammates have the best opportunities at the right moments will gradually elevate him into a new level of playmaker.
Building on Hughes’s point, Brandon Ingram’s floor-spacing ability could reduce the pressure on Quickley to focus solely on shooting. This would allow him to concentrate on becoming a more prototypical and selfless NBA point guard.
Some analysts suggest Quickley might be best suited as a sixth man, but that role seems unlikely now. Toronto has shown significant faith in his potential as a starter — otherwise, they wouldn’t have extended him to such a costly deal or justified trading long-time staple OG Anunoby to acquire him.
I think it's important for basketball fans to think critically: a career year doesn't always translate to high numbers on the year-end stat sheet. But for a guy like Immanuel Quickley, the shifting dynamics of Toronto's landscape could quietly set him up for his most impactful NBA season yet — one where his best form can finally emerge and the idea of him being an overpaid, damaging asset may fade.