I'm not here to criticize Immanuel Quickley for factors beyond his control. The injury bug has been his biggest adversary this season, significantly impacting Raptors fans' ability to see the highly touted "BBQ" trio alongside Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett in action. However, Quickley’s injury-prone history and inability to remain on the court for extended periods remain a concern.
The 14 games played so far are not ideal for the Raptors front office, which paid Quickley a substantial amount to retain his services in the North, signing him to a five-year, $175 million extension during the 2024 offseason. While one could argue that his performance is affected by a minutes restriction or that he is still easing back into on-court shape after an injury, the question remains: how long can this leniency be justified?
Immanuel Quickley has a lot to prove to the Toronto Raptors
Sometimes, it's essential to ask the tough questions. While I can certainly attest to Quickley's status as a fan favorite—those "Sell Your Car Quickly with Clutch" ads are fantastic—he needs to demonstrate his durability and ability to rise to the occasion. As it stands, Quickley is averaging these stats this season: 14.7 points per game, shooting 40.6% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the arc, along with 5.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds.
Those numbers are acceptable if we're talking about a backup player, but this is a guy who is being paid max-level money. I'm not doubting Quickley's ability to score and create plays; his arrival in Toronto last season showed a tremendous amount of promise in those departments, enough to justify the contract extension he ultimately earned.
Additionally, the arrival of Brandon Ingram raises concerns about how the Raptors will view their assets moving forward, including Quickley. At this moment, no insiders have indicated that Toronto is looking to make changes to its roster. The front office will likely want to evaluate what this core can achieve when fully healthy; however, several names are emerging as expendable assets in the rumor mill.
What if the Raptors get lucky in the draft lottery and add a quality guard to the mix, such as Dylan Harper or Kasparas Jakucionis? If that happens, the need for Quickley may diminish. This is exactly why IQ must demonstrate to the Raptors' front office that they were right to invest in him and why he should be the team's long-term point guard.
While he has delivered some strong performances in spurts, such as his last game against the Rockets on February 9, consistency will be crucial for Quickley as he reintegrates into this Raptors core moving forward. I'm not entirely dismissing Quickley's ability to return to form; I believe he can definitely do it. However, the chess pieces are moving quickly (pun-intended), especially since the Raptors just extended Brandon Ingram earlier today.
Quickley has a nice three-point shot, and once Ingram finally suits up for Toronto alongside Barnes, Poeltl, and whoever occupies the shooting guard position, there is a scenario in which Quickley could be the much-needed answer in the starting lineup.
The next few months of the Raptors' 2024-25 campaign are critical for Quickley's career. To be completely honest, this is a make-or-break period for him and the front office. Otherwise, they will face increased challenges during the offseason regarding what to do with his hefty contract and clunky roster issues.
No one wants things to reach that point, so hopefully, Quickley's struggles are behind him for now. Otherwise, there's a chance that their decision to sign Quickley to that deal could haunt them for the foreseeable future.