Time to hand out Knicks and NBA awards to best at season's end
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson against the Washington Wizards on April 2, 2023. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
NEW ORLEANS — With the regular season ending — even if it seemed to end for many players and teams about a week ago as load management and tanking hit ridiculous levels — it’s finally time to make decisions on awards. It's a debate that seemed to begin about five months ago. Remember when Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic were clear picks for those who wanted to debate the Most Valuable Player Award about 10 games into the season?
I am happy to report that this is not a season that I was given a ballot for the awards — avoiding the possibility of fans in either Philadelphia, Denver or Milwaukee staging protests when I arrive if I didn’t vote their way in the MVP ballot.
So before I give my picks for the NBA award season, a brief primer on something closer to home — the players who have earned honors in a Knicks-only ballot.
Most Valuable Player: So even after a sprained ankle ended Julius Randle’s season he remains at No. 9 in the NBA.com MVP ladder and there is certainly a case to be made for him. But there is no player who has been more valuable in turning around the Knicks fortunes than Jalen Brunson. He’s put up numbers, but it’s what he’s done for the culture of the organization that has really shown his value. The pick: Jalen Brunson.
Most improved player: Brunson has been mentioned in league-wide polling for this award — maybe just to give him something for what he’s done. But he already was rising to this level last season. To see a real change look at Immanuel Quickley, and not at his 40-point performance or any of his scoring outbursts, but the change on the defensive end. He become a stopper in a way that he wasn’t close to last season. The pick: Immanuel Quickley.
Defensive player of the year: This is actually a tough one because every time he’s missing, the Knicks see the importance of Mitchell Robinson as an anchor to their defense. But in his first full season as a starter seeing Quentin Grimes take on the task of guarding the best perimeter threat every night — whether it’s a speedy undersized point guard or a dangerous 6-8 wing, Grimes has taken it on. The pick: Quentin Grimes.
The NBA Awards:
MVP: Glad I am not on the official ballot, But I’m not basing this pick on Joel Embiid sitting out against Denver or one game in head to head. The fact is that three players are having MVP-worthy seasons and if you’ve got to pick one I’m going with the one having a historic season on a team in first place — and clearly carrying his team there. The pick: Denver’s Nikola Jokic.
MIP: Brunson is certainly going to get consideration if for no other reason than the notion that he should win something for what he’s done in New York this season. But he already took a major step forward last season and his play has been a continuation with numbers jumping thanks to increased minutes and usage (21.9% last season to 27.1% this season). Lauri Markkanen might have made the biggest jump but we’ll still give it to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who not only raised his game, but raised his team with it and brought what looked like a years away team to the final days of the season eyeing a play-in spot. The pick: Gilgeous-Alexander.
Sixth Man: If you told me a year ago I’d be arguing the case for Immanuel Quickley based on his defense . . . but here we are. Quickley has always been a sparkplug to the offense, providing instant energy, but he has become an invaluable rotation piece because when he’s on the floor the Knicks are a staggeringly good 10-plus points per game better defensively. Malcolm Brogdon may win this award and he’s been tremendous for the Celtics, but Quickley’s jump this season has been a much bigger difference-maker for his team. The pick: Quickley.
Coach of the year: It could be argued that Tom Thibodeau has done a better job this season than he did two years ago when he coaxed a middling group to the No. 4 seed just by keeping his team focused and ready every night through COVID-19. With rumors placing him on the hot seat early he did it his way, benching rotation pieces, shortening the rotation and turning the Knicks into a two-way unit that combines hard-nosed defense with a reasonably fast-paced offense — and developing young players despite the critics misguidedly begging for more minutes for Cam Reddish or Obi Toppin. But still, I’d put him second this time to a coach who has converted a perennial lottery team into one of the best teams in the league. The pick: Sacramento’s Mike Brown.
Rookie of the year: Paolo Banchero, Orlando. Really needs no explanation. OKC’s Jalen Williams and Utah’s Walker Kessler in second and third place.
Defensive player of the year: Tough to pick this one, especially since the best defender missed a month and plays less than 30 minutes per game — but he’s been so dominant it’s hard to keep Jaren Jackson Jr. out of the top spot. Brook Lopez has been solid, but he also has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday beside him. And it’s comical that Draymond Green has only gotten this award once, still holding together the Golden State defense. The pick: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Bad karma
Five years ago the NBA fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600,000 for admitting the team was tanking. It’s probably a good bet that Cuban will be donating to NBA Charities once again after the team — while still alive for a playoff berth — shut down much of their roster and made a very ugly effort to get out of the final play-in spot and into the lottery. There they could hope to avoid surrendering their first-round pick to the Knicks.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass issued a statement Saturday explaining, "The NBA commenced an investigation today into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to Friday night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions.”
The Mavericks took sole possession of the 10th-worst record with their effort — I use the term loosely — in losing at home to Chicago, shutting down Luka Doncic on Slovenia Night in the opening minute of the second quarter. They could still fall out of that spot with a win over San Antonio today, which they seemingly will do everything they can to avoid.
Still, there is some justice if the Knicks miss out on the chance to grab the Dallas Mavericks first-round pick this summer.
Figure it this way — the Knicks obtained the pick when they dealt away Kristaps Porzingis, completing a tank of their own to clear cap space in an effort to chase free agents like Kevin Durant. And yes, Kyrie Irving.
The Knicks still have a chance to get the pick despite the Mavs fielding a pickup team down the stretch to try to hang onto the pick. But even with the 10th spot now, the pick doesn’t finalize until the lottery. There is a chance that one of the teams behind the Mavs could jump into the top three spots in the lottery — talkathon.com has it at a 20.2% chance of Dallas dropping out of the top 10.
Work horse
Randle was on course to play in all 82 games this season and in a battle for total minutes played in the NBA when he suffered a sprained ankle with five games left, accentuating just how difficult it is today to play every game. But the Knicks will have one player do it when they finish the regular season, and perhaps an unlikely one — Isaiah Hartenstein.
Hartenstein, after joining the Knicks as a free agent, struggled early in the season with Achilles problems and it limited his play, too — opening him to the possibility of a DNP-coach’s decision. But he managed to find his way to the finish line for the first time in his career.
“I just kept pushing through it, kept doing the little things to help your body,” Hartenstein said. “I think our staff did a really good job of making sure I progressed the right way. … Got to give a lot of props to the training staff, they did a great job of making sure I did the right stuff to build the Achilles back up and now play 82 games. It’s something special. Also got to thank all the people around you, training staff, strength coaches, making sure my body can handle it.”
"I just think dependability is such a big part of this league,” Thibodeau said. “You want to be able to depend on people and I think that’s important for the team to grow. Julius would’ve been there, if he didn’t get a sprained ankle, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Injuries are part of the game. But it says a lot when someone does that.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
