Tom Thibodeau explains why he’s still not making Immanuel Quickley the starter

As the drumbeat for Immanuel Quickley’s promotion to the starting lineup grows, coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday that his upstart rookie point guard will remain a reserve because it’s better for winning.

“We like the group that he’s with right now,” Thibodeau said. “And we think it functions best that way. And so you want to have everybody play to their strengths and also you want to cover up people’s weaknesses. So right now we feel the best opportunity for us to win is doing the things we’re doing.”

Quickley is coming off a 31-point eruption in Sunday’s defeat to the Blazers, when he took the bulk of the minutes from starter Elfrid Payton and led a spirited — albeit ultimately futile — comeback. The 21-year-old, who was the 25th overall pick out of Kentucky, is among the rookie class revelations, with a sweet stroke and a penchant for drawing fouls. He’s on a seven-game stretch of averaging 16.3 points while shooting 47%.

Payton has been inconsistent as a starter. But he’s more experienced and has had key contributions in Knicks victories, most notably over the Bucks and Magic. Even though Payton was torched by Dame Lillard on Sunday, he’s been a strong defensive presence while averaging 12.6 points. The big issue, as has always been the case with Payton, is the absence of an outside shot. He’s connecting at just 27.8% from beyond the arc.

Thibodeau, whose coaching history suggests he’s wary of starting rookies, has stuck with the same lineup since opening night: Payton, Reggie Bullock, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Injuries to Bullock prompted a temporary shift, with Alec Burks and Austin Rivers getting opportunities.

Bullock sat out of Monday’s practice because of a neck injury, leaving his status for Tuesday’s game at Utah in doubt.

“We’ve had an opportunity now with Reggie out to get Alec in there. And we had Austin in there for a few games. So that part, we’ve gotten a look at those guys,” Thibodeau said. “It’s something where we’ve got to look at everything. And then it’s not only that, it’s who fits best with the second unit. The second unit the last two games has played very well. So you’re always looking at what units play best together.”

Quickley produced in preseason and rebounded nicely after some duds during the Knicks’ five-game losing streak earlier this month. If the hype is real, the Knicks will finally have the starting point guard of the future. But for now, he’s still the backup.