Immanuel Quickley might not be the most notable member of the New York Knicks, but by one measure he looks like the most valuable member of the team heading into the upcoming season in New York sports betting.
EmpireStakes.com used Basketball-Reference.com to find the cap hit of the 2022-23 Knicks roster and each player’s total win shares from last year’s NBA season, rookies excluded. The two numbers were then divided and charted in order to find how much in salary each player takes home per win share they produce on the court.
The 25th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Quickley has established himself as a reliable scorer and playmaker off the bench for the Knicks. He averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 assists in 23.1 minutes per game last season, spending significant amounts of time at both guard spots. He only shot 39.2% from the field, but a healthy diet of threes, excellent free throw shooting and low turnover numbers allowed him to still post an above-average offensive rating that fueled his other advanced numbers.
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Analyzing Rest of Roster
Quickley likely will be the primary backup to Jalen Brunson, who the team brought over from Dallas in free agency on a 4-year, $104 million contract. Brunson’s total win shares would have been second on the Knicks last season, but given he makes more than anyone else on the roster he only registers as an average value in this analysis, despite the boost he brings to the backcourt.
Similarly, team win shares leader Mitchell Robinson comes in only one spot higher than Brunson on the list due to having the team’s fourth largest cap hit. Robinson still finished tied for 13th in the NBA in win shares last season, based largely on his rim protection abilities and a ridiculous 76.1% field goal percentage that would have led the league had he taken enough shots to qualify.
Robinson’s projected backup and the Knicks’ other major free agent acquisition, Isaiah Hartenstein, appears to be one of the biggest bargain signings of the offseason. He agreed to a 2-year, $16 million contract with the team after averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game with the Clippers last year. Overall, Hartenstein recorded .215 win shares per 48 minutes, making him one of the most productive backup bigs in the league.
NY betting apps seem to indicate the Knicks again will have to step up to make the playoffs.
The state's leading operator, FanDuel NY has the Knicks at +205 to make the playoffs, the 10th-longest odds in the Eastern Conference.. There are eight teams in the conference.
Knicks Need Randle to Bounce Back
If the Knicks are going to exceed their current over-under win total of 38.5 on FanDuel, they desperately need Julius Randle to return to his 2nd team All-NBA form from two seasons ago. Not only did his play crater last season, especially on the offensive end, but he is also set to make almost $4 million more this year, with his contract continuing to escalate through 2025-26.
While Derrick Rose ranks last in this study, he only played 26 games in 2021-22 (fewer than any other veteran on the 2022-23 roster), making it somewhat unfair to him. However, while Rose is still capable of moments of individual brilliance, his $14.5 million salary is more in line with the compensation of a mid-level starter than a third guard.
