Injuries and adversity galore largely shaped the Toronto Raptors' narrative this past season. As much as some in Raptors Nation hoped to see a full season of Immanuel Quickley unleashed — building on his strong showings in flashes last year — that expectation never fully materialized, as IQ navigated long stretches of missed time.
But when he did suit up, Quickley proved to be an effective offensive threat capable of catching fire at any moment ... an element the Raptors could have used much more consistently. Drawing off of that, it's why analysts like Zach Lowe have essentially put Quickley in the hot seat after he was largely viewed (at first) as the best player involved in the OG Anunoby trade.
Now, while Quickley is a proven key offensive player, his role as the primary point guard raises some concerns (aside from his widely perceived expensive contract). I'm aware that playmaking duties in Toronto don't rest solely on his shoulders, with capable passers like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and now Brandon Ingram on the roster.
However, as far as the projected starting lineup is concerned, IQ has the true point guard position locked down. That being said, the real question is: can Immanuel Quickley reach that level of point guard who can truly elevate the team around him?
Raptors need Immanuel Quickley to play like a premier point guard
I think the general consensus on Quickley's role moving forward in this core is that he will be that reliable hand on offense, as one of the only real three-point shooting threats in the main lineup. That's not to say we won't still see IQ running some solid pick-and-rolls and setting the pace in his own way when it comes to finding his teammates, but the reality is, I don't think anybody truly views Quickley as a superb playmaker, despite holding the role that emphasizes it so much.
IQ is still very much in the developmental phase when it comes to that aspect of his game; it's not like he had the freedom to explore that element during his Knicks tenure, where he was largely used as a sparkplug off the bench.
For the Toronto Raptors, it has to be one of their biggest hopes that IQ can live up to his value by taking this elite jump. I feel the conversation would be a little different here if we weren't talking about a guy who's making over $30 million per year.
If that were the case, I think there'd be a general level of leniency here. But Quick is making the big bucks and I think it's only right with that price tag that it ignites a fire in him to evolve into the type of point guard that Toronto invested in. I'm not expecting him to become a Tyrese Haliburton or Trae Young overnight, but if he can just be a lite-version of one of those guys, that would be the Raptors' ultimate delight.