Former Knicks RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley discuss their return to Madison Square Garden
For the first time since being traded from the Knicks to the Toronto Raptors last month, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley make their return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday as both teams square off at 7:30 p.m.
Since the trade, which brought OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Precious Achiuwa to New York, the Knicks have gone 8-3 (8-2 with the three players in the lineup) and are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference at 25-17.
Clearly, the trade has proved beneficial to New York thus far. In fact, Anunoby has a plus/minus of plus-170 since joining the Knicks – the highest plus/minus in NBA history posted by a player in his first 10 games with a franchise.
On the other side, they lost fan favorites Barrett and Quickley who were having solid seasons in their own right but who have elevated their production in Toronto.
So how will it feel when they come back to where it all started, now as visitors? First of all, “definitely weird” according to Barrett.
“I loved the New York fans from Day 1, I still do,” Barrett said. “So whatever happens at The Garden, I appreciate them regardless… Those experiences with those people over there, coming in at 19 [years old] and leaving at 23, it definitely helped me grow up. I’ll never forget New York. I’ll never forget this place and all the people.”
He continued:
“It’s like a show, The Garden. With all the lights and everything that goes on. So I was always appreciative with that, I always loved playing in The Garden. Now to be a visitor, I’m excited to see what that’s like.”
“It’ll be cool just to be back at The Garden,” Quickley said. “This is where I started my career so a lot of different emotions and looking forward to the game, competing, trying to get a win… I’m gonna try not to cry, but it’ll be a good one.”
At 16-26, and having traded Anunoby as well as Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers, the Raptors are currently in a rebuilding mode and have chosen Barrett and Quickley to be a part of that process.
And just like Anunoby with the Knicks, Barrett and Quickley have worked out in Toronto in the early going. Both players’ numbers are higher across the board with the Raptors than they had been with the Knicks this season, with Barrett averaging 20.2 points per game (up from 18.2) and Quickley averaging 18 points per night (up from 15).
Both players credit each other for the ease of transition to a new team in the middle of the season.
“He’s made everything 100 percent easier,” Barrett, who returned to his hometown Toronto, said. “Having a familiar face to come to a team with, someone who I’ve actually been close with for a while so yeah it’s been pretty good.”
“It was good to have somebody that I was familiar with, that I knew already – especially him going back to his hometown he could show me a little bit of stuff he was already familiar and comfortable with, so it was good to have somebody that I knew, that I came into the league with, it was pretty cool,” Quickley said.
Barrett and Quickley will now look to continue their success against their former teammates and a Knicks team who has appeared to find its stride.
“I’ve played against some of the guys that are on the team now, but like I’ve never played against Julius [Randle] in a game so that’s gonna be cool for me,” Barrett said.
“It’s always fun competing against people you know, your friends, things like that,” Quickley said.
As for any messages to the team and the fans, both showed their appreciation to the organization that drafted them and gave them their start in the NBA.
“Nothing but good memories,” Quickley said. “When people show you respect and treat you right, you have to say thank you and say you appreciate them.”
“I’ll post it tomorrow,” Barrett said. “I’ve been waiting for this game.”
