Either Malcolm Brogdon or Immanuel Quickley would make a fine choice for Sixth Man of the Year.
But Malcolm Brogdon should win.
Before I address their candidacies, I want to dismiss one argument at the start. IQ has started nineteen games, and his stats in those games significantly boost his season averages. He’s averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in starts, markedly higher than his season average in all categories.
I’ll be blunt, I don’t care. Part of a sixth man’s job is filling in as a starter when he’s asked to. IQ thriving as a starter is more of a knock on Tom Thibodeau’s insistence on playing RJ Barrett big minutes than it is on IQ’s sixth man argument.