Sixth Man of the Year: Immanuel Quickley
Similar to Brunson, this was another obvious selection, as it’s very clear at this point that Immanuel Quickley is deserving to win the real award. Not only has he been by far and away the best bench player for the Knicks, but arguably the best in the entire league.
In 80 regular season games, Quickley averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 37.2% from deep on 5.5 attempts. He started in only 20 games.
The spark plug Quickley has provided off the bench on both sides of the ball has been one of the biggest reasons for the Knicks’ success. While not all may agree with this, I think it’s quite clear that Quickley has been the Knicks’ third-best player this season due to his newfound consistency.
You see, if Brunson had not signed with the Knicks, Quickley would’ve easily been the choice for MIP. The jump he has made in terms of efficiency, and even defense, is not only unprecedented but absolutely incredible.
Through prior seasons, Quickley struggled heavily with efficiency and consistency, failing to shoot above 40% from the field in his first two seasons. However, he finally topped that milestone while providing All-Defense level play on the opposite side of the ball.