The Immanuel Quickley problem: How bad is it?

"At the end of Monday's 118-100 win over the Atlanta Hawks, it was Jamal Shead dribbling the ball to run out the Scotiabank Arena clock for the Toronto Raptors, not Immanuel Quickley. The 26-year-old had been benched again with 4:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, as Darko Rajakovic opted for the sophomore guard in Shead for the second time in the last four games. The game had been close, and the Shead-led Raptors closed it out with ease."

"It is a bad sign that Rajakovic is replacing a player down the stretch in Quickley, who was the key asset in a major trade and also makes north of $30-million, in favour of a second-round pick in year two in Shead. But that's the situation, or even the problem, the Raptors and Rajakovic find themselves in. Against the Hawks Monday night, you could have argued Quickley was the most impactful player in the first quarter."

Toronto beat Atlanta 118-100 with Jamal Shead closing the game instead of Immanuel Quickley. Coach Darko Rajakovic benched Quickley with 4:38 remaining and inserted sophomore Jamal Shead for the second time in four games. In an earlier win over Orlando, Shead led the team with 19 points and five assists while Quickley shot 2-of-12 and finished minus-19. The Raptors prioritize high pickup-point pressure, live-ball turnovers and quick transition, and Shead executes that scheme better than Quickley. Quickley remains a major trade asset and earns north of $30 million, yet late-game rotations favor fit over salary.

Read at Raptors Republic