The Knicks fell 89-79 to the Toronto Raptors in their NBA Summer League opener, but the games in Vegas are much more about player development than winning games — and New York saw a lot of that on Sunday afternoon.
Last season’s rookies Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley shined for the Knicks as “seasoned vets” among the new crop of talent the team put together to compete in the Blue and Orange.
Toppin led the team with 24 points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block, while Quickley put up 15 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals.
“I thought I was pretty good,” Toppin said. “The other guys were just finding me in certain positions and those guys help me get my buckets … without those guys, I wouldn’t have done what I did.
“I put in a lot of work this summer and had a lot of guys helping me out, from players to coaches, everybody’s been helping me out. Been watching film and just improving my game all around.”
Toppin and Quickley each saw 37 minutes on the floor in their Vegas Summer League debuts — games were not held last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Any time they have a chance to get better, they’re gym rats, Obi and Quick,” Knicks Summer League head coach Daisuke Yoshimoto said after the game. “Right after the season they came right back to the gym.”
Of the actual rookies to play Sunday, Jericho Sims put his fingerprints all over this game. The second-round pick went a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for 12 points — including a dunk of the summer nominee on an alley-oop from Quickley.
Sims also added eight rebounds and a block to his stat sheet as well.
First-round pick Quentin Grimes did not shoot the ball well in his debut, going 3-for-11 from the field for nine points. He grabbed four boards, dished out two assists, and had a block to round out his day.
The Knicks play again on Monday at 2 p.m. against the Indiana Pacers.