Malcolm Brogdon beats out Immanuel Quickley for NBA's Sixth Man of the Year

It was a neck-and-neck battle down the stretch, but Kentucky won’t have a repeat winner for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award this year.

On Thursday night, Boston Celtics point guard Malcolm Brogdon was tabbed as the league’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 2022-23 season, finishing ahead of fellow finalist Immanuel Quickley of the New York Kicks, who just narrowly missed out as the winner. Over the last several weeks, the odds have shifted back and forth between these two as the top candidates, but it was Brogdon who came out on top at the final buzzer.

Former Wildcat Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat took home the honors in 2021-22. Herro was the first Kentucky player to win the award since it was created ahead of the 1982-83 season.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT ☘️

Congratulations on an incredible season, @MalcolmBrogdon7 pic.twitter.com/6wLhO1IidK

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 20, 2023

Quickley, just 23 years old, had his best run yet in the NBA during the 2022-23 season. Now in his third year as a pro, the former SEC Player of the Year averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the Knicks while shooting a career-high 44.8 percent overall, 37.0 percent from long range, and 81.9 percent from the free throw line. He played in 81 games for the Knicks, coming off the bench in 60 of them.

Brogdon’s case was built on the fact that he came off the bench in all 67 games he appeared in while Quickley only came off the bench in 60, although the latter did play in 14 more total games. But this award is about being a sixth man and Brogdon produced better stats off the bench than Quickley.

This season, Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on a shooting split of 48.4/44.4/87.0 — all off the bench for the Celtics. If we take away Quickley’s 20 games as a starter, his bench numbers dip to just 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per outing, according to StatMuse.

Quickley’s postseason play hasn’t been up to his standards so far with a scoring average of just 7.5 points on 30.8 percent shooting through New York’s first two playoff games against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But there is still plenty of basketball to be played.

The No. 5 Knicks and No. 4 Cavaliers (series tied 1-1) will face off in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC when Quickley will look for his breakout moment.