With NBA awards season upon us, there was some question as to whether Malcolm Brogdon of the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley was more deserving of the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Quickley had a strong season, averaging 14.9 points a game while playing a key role in the Knicks finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference and returning to the playoffs.
There was a feeling that perhaps Quickley was a slight favorite for the award, but in the end, Brogdon won it, and it wasn’t even close.
Malcolm Brogdon was the clear favorite for Sixth Man of the Year 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0R2fP8OU6E
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 20, 2023
Brogdon, a 6-foot-5 guard, averaged 14.9 points a contest while shooting 48.4 percent overall and 44.4 percent from 3-point range for the second-seeded Celtics.
He has greatly fortified what was a frightfully anemic Boston bench last season, particularly in the playoffs.
In 2022, they reached the NBA Finals and looked to have a strong chance of winning the world championship, especially after taking a 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors.
But Jayson Tatum struggled mightily and so did their bench, as they had no real scoring threats there who were efficient, and they lost the title in six games.
The Celtics’ bench is still iffy this time around, but Brogdon has given them someone who can take some pressure off Tatum and co-star Jaylen Brown.
They currently hold a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, and although Brogdon hasn’t played well so far in the series, one expects him to pick things up if they move on to the second round, presumably against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Fans React To Celtics Player Winning Sixth-Man Award
