Donte DiVincenzo’s future role with the New York Knicks in 2024-25 could be bittersweet when the season is all said and done.
Knicks: The bitterness of Donte DiVincenzo’s likely demotion from the starting five
The bitterness stems from his likely demotion back to the second unit. DiVincenzo inherited the starting shooting guard role from former Knicks wing Quentin Grimes last fall and rode that toward a career 2023-24 campaign that earned him consideration for the Most Improved Player of the Year award.
He set the Knicks’ single-season three-pointers made record with 283 and revamped their entire offensive fabric, fostering more free-flowing ball movement with his impeccable floor spacing and constant activity in the half-court.
How DiVincenzo’s relegation to the bench could pay huge dividends in 2024-25
The sweetness that could emanate from the upcoming campaign is the chance for the Villanova product to contend for another end-of-season award that may be more in reach than the MIP honor. DiVincenzo is likely to be the first player to come off of the Knicks’ bench next time out. He’s already one of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s favorite options on the roster. He could avoid a considerable reduction in minutes despite Mikal Bridges being the incumbent starting two-guard and put up numbers that stack up with the Sixth Man of the Year award winners in the last couple of years and their runner-ups.
As the record shows, the Delaware native made his presence felt, even when he did not see an abundance of minutes last season. DiVincenzo played 24 games in 2023-24 where he saw anywhere from 20-29 minutes of action. In those 24 games, he averaged a solid 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest with a 65.7 percent true shooting percentage, his highest clip among his four minutes splits. He did all of that with an average of 24.2 minutes per night. There’s a good chance that the former 2021 NBA champion sees time that mirrors that average, giving clarity to what he can produce in that capacity.
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How DiVincenzo stacks up against the best sixth men in the NBA for the 2025 6MOY
The last two winners, reigning 6MOY Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves), and Malcolm Brogdon (Portland Trail Blazers) — who won while a member of the Boston Celtics in 2022-23 –both averaged under 15 points per game en route to the honor. Reid put up 13.5 PPG while Brogdon contributed 14.9 PPG. DiVincenzo could fall right in that range while maintaining himself as one of the best three-point shooting marksmen in the league for the Knicks.
New York’s addition of Cam Payne eliminates the chance for DiVincenzo to carve out a prominent playmaking role off the bench, but he can still emerge as a strong contender for the award with proficiency in areas where he is strong.
An early look at other potential candidates that could steal Reid’s crown next season includes Denver Nuggets star Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder star Alex Caruso, and Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, in addition to perennial contenders Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Immanuel Quickley (Toronto Raptors).
It’s well within the realm of possibility for DiVincenzo to come out on top of the pack after all 82 games are in the books.
