One of the things that makes the New York Knicks as scary as they are is their depth. Their second unit consists of players with plenty of starting experience and was hugely impactful last season when the roster became depleted with injuries.
With Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride leading the charge of the Knicks’ bench unit, at least one of them could be heavily in the mix for the league’s Sixth Man of The Year award this upcoming season. It all depends on how they perform in their new roles.
1. Donte DiVincenzo has the strongest case to win Sixth Man of The Year
Perhaps the bench player with the highest chance of winning the award, DiVincenzo was electric last season as he averaged a career-high 15 points per game and finished third in the NBA in total three-pointers made. The guard quickly became one of the game’s best perimeter scorers and was a high-value addition by the Knicks last summer.
DiVincenzo was expected to come off the bench last season, but he took the starting spot from Quentin Grimes early in the season after outplaying him, and remained as a starter the rest of the way. The opportunity allowed him to develop into an elite role player, and now has the starting experience to be an equally as impactful player as he returns to the bench following the Mikal Bridges addition.
The sharpshooter will enter the season as one of the favorites for the award, though it is still unclear how big of a role he will have on the Knicks this upcoming season. With so many top options at their disposal, there may not be as many shot attempts available for DiVincenzo. However, if he can quickly carve out a strong bench role for himself, he could replicate the success he endured last season as a starter.
2. Josh Hart could be an underrated pick for Sixth Man of The Year
Last season, Hart was arguably the Knicks’ biggest difference maker as he filled in for the injured OG Anunoby at the halfway mark and played so well that kept that starting spot even after Anunoby’s return.
Now that Anunoby and Julius Randle are expected to take back their starting jobs, that resorts Hart back to his original bench role. However, his versatility on both ends makes him likely to still receive minutes that resemble that of a typical starter. During the playoffs, Hart was second in minutes per game among all NBA players with 42.2 minutes per game, and averaged 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 37% from outside the arc, per Statmuse.
The likelihood of seeing the floor a lot makes him another leading candidate for the Sixth Man of The Year award, as he could be the Knicks’ most-used bench player. Similar to DiVincenzo, though, the lack of available shot attempts will likely cause Hart’s baseline numbers to decrease. Hart is the type of player whose true impact isn’t always reflected on the stat sheet, but will it be enough to win Sixth Man of The Year? Only time will tell.
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3. Miles McBride is one of the biggest underdogs for Sixth Man of The Year
McBride became the team’s backup point guard last season after Immanuel Quickley was traded to the Toronto Raptors in late December. He quickly blossomed into a strong rotation piece and endured a breakout campaign, averaging 10.7 points and shooting 41% from three in his last 49 games of the season.
The former West Virginia guard was clearly not phased by spending most of his first two NBA seasons at the end of the bench, and is now one of the more underrated reserves in the league. However, his role might take the biggest hit with the Bridges addition, as he won’t be as heavily relied upon in a fully healthy rotation.
That could significantly hurt his chances of winning Sixth Man of The Year. What also stands in his way is the recently drafted guard Tyler Kolek, who was very impressive in the Summer League and has received a ton of praise around league circles. It is still unclear if Kolek or McBride will take the full-time backup point guard role. The odds are probably in McBride’s favor given his impact last season, but how much playing time he gets remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, the talent McBride possesses is definitely strong enough to make a run for the award, but he has to receive ample playing time in order to be eligible.
