The Phoenix Suns may not get a chance at him, but Immanuel Quickley is the biggest sleeper in this year’s NBA draft.
The Phoenix Suns do not have a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft because James Jones was feeling like my mother before I get on an airplane after Thanksgiving and shoved most everything in the refrigerator into the care package that went to the Indiana Pacers. TJ Warren alone (for cash considerations) wasn’t sufficient enough, and Jones decided the Pacers needed a second-round pick too; there was probably some leftover turkey, cranberry salad, and a few extra cookies as well, even though they told him the cranberry salad won’t make the trip.
However, when it comes to the draft, anything is possible, and if the Suns decide to trade their first-round pick for a veteran point guard or power forward, perhaps they’ll get a second-round pick in the exchange.
If, and I concede this is a big if, this were to happen, there is one sleeper than would be a perfect fit for the Phoenix Suns: Immanuel Quickley.
Immanuel Quickley is one of the biggest sleepers of the draft NBA draft.
In last year’s draft, James Jones reached on a player who many dubbed the best shooter in the class in Cameron Johnson. Immanuel Quickley is the best shooter in this year’s draft, and it really isn’t all that close.
After struggling a bit his first year at Kentucky, Quickley came back for his sophomore season with the Cats and put on a shooting clinic.
Quickley shot an incredible 42.8 percent from behind the arc for Kentucky this season on 4.8 attempts per game. For what it’s worth, Cam Johnson shot 45% from deep his last season with North Carolina.
On top of that, Quickley ranked third in the entire NCAA Division I in free-throw shooting. Out of 156 attempts, he made 142, good for 92.3 percent. For comparison, Devin Booker led the NBA in free throw percentage with 91.6 percent.
Oh, his game features a deadly floater as well. There are no real stats to back that up, but watch his highlights and be amazed.
Quickley played as the third guard in a stacked backcourt this season alongside potential lottery pick and one of the best shooting guard prospects in the draft, Tyrese Maxey, as well as the criminally underrated point guard, Aston Hagans.
Despite having to share the ball with these guys (as well as NBA hopeful, Nick Richards), Quickley led the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game and was on his way to be a March Madness darling before COVID-19 inserted its prickly little demon self and busted humanity’s bracket.
When the season abruptly ended, Kentucky was ranked 8th in the nation and Quickley was the team’s leading scorer. How he isn’t a higher ranked prospect is beyond me.
Quickley may be a bit undersized at 6’3″, but he makes up for it with an incredible 6’10” wingspan ( somewhere Jay Bilas just took a drink) which helped him become an above-average on-ball defender.
In order for him to make his way to the Phoenix Suns, he would either have to go undrafted, which is unlikely, or the Suns would need to make a trade to land a pick in the early second round, which his where many mock drafts have him going.
James Jones reached on Cameron Johnson last year because he was a mature player and considered the best shooter in the draft class. Immanuel Quickley is exactly that and would fit very well on this Suns team.
Plus, just think of all the puns Al McCoy could make with his last name.
Quickley is one of the biggest sleepers in this year’s draft, and regardless of where he lands, there are going to be a lot of teams jealous they didn’t get him.