NBA Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Sixth Man of the Year race

It has been a rather complicated start to the season for Immanuel Quickley. His minutes are down from 28.9 to 24.4, largely because of the New York Knicks' impressive depth on the perimeter. And yet, Quickley's scoring volume is up a few ticks, from 14.9 to 15.4 points per game, while his assists and shooting percentages have plateaued.

Quickley finished last season second in the 6MOY race. He's tracking for a similarly competitive campaign in 2023. The Knicks have a lot of quality bench pieces, but Quickley shines through as the most impactful. On top of the points, he's a reliable source of rim pressure and playmaking for a bench unit that needs every ounce of creative juice it can get when Jalen Brunson sits.

Blessed with deep 3-point range and a confident trigger, Quickley keeps defenses guessing with clever gear shifts and one of the league's best first steps. He can get into the paint at will and he's a legitimate three-level scorer. He also offers a great deal of defensive versatility at 6-foot-3, essentially fitting into whichever personnel group the Knicks need him to.

Quickley gets bonus points for legitimately executing on both ends. He's a plus defender, with a rangy 6-foot-9 wingspan and the lateral quickness to stick with the NBA's top guard creators beat for beat. He's a pesk at the point of attack. The defensive playmaking hasn't been there much in 2023, but he can handle various matchups on the perimeter and he's a one-man transition offense when the ball gets turned over.