Throughout the offseason — and showing no signs of slowing down as the 2025-26 season kicked off — the spotlight has remained firmly on Toronto Raptors' lead guard Immanuel Quickley.
Last season, IQ appeared in just 33 games. While the Raptors faced a variety of challenges that kept them from competing effectively in the Eastern Conference, it was disappointing not to see a larger sample size from IQ, especially after he received a significant contract extension. I believe that if he had been healthy and able to play around 50 to 60 games, the Raptors might have had a better shot at improving their prospects.
In just 10 games into the new season, the Immanuel Quickley experience has largely been a source of frustration for many Raptors fans and has left some basketball commentators feeling somewhat confused. Did Immanuel Quickley fool everyone with his huge payday, only to seemingly forget how to shoot soon after? Those who believed so had a justified point, as IQ struggled with his three-point shooting early in the season, going just 2-for-18 (just 11%) through his first three games.
A few weeks later, we've just seen what was arguably Immanuel Quickley's best game of the season with the Raptors. He played a significant role in Toronto's last outing against Philadelphia on November 8, even though the team ultimately fell to the 76ers, 130-120. Quickley got off to a blazing start, going 3-for-3 from deep in the opening quarter.
Immanuel Quickley... back to tip-top shooting form?
He finished the game with a season-high 5-for-9 three-point shooting, which is 55% shooting efficiency. He also went 8-for-16 from the field overall and recorded six rebounds and six assists. In fact, while Quickley has still been on somewhat of a probationary period with Raptors fans — who have been quick to hold him accountable for his recent slump — it's worth noting that IQ has gone 18-for-41 from beyond the arc over the past seven games since that initial rough stretch. This amounts to a solid 43.9% shooting efficiency during that span.
Quickley is quite streaky, for sure, and his role as the starting point guard might be a case of stepping into a position he simply isn't cut out for. However, his shooting ability has always been a strength, and that spacing boost remains invaluable for a tall team that isn't necessarily known for sharpshooting. No one was wrong for putting Quickley in the hot seat, but fingers crossed (let's hope it's not a jinx), this is IQ beginning to find his shot at a consistent rate once again.
This is the only way to regain your respect in a cutthroat NBA landscape where it largely reflects a "What have you done for me lately?" sentiment more than anything.