Knicks shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo has a chance to earn the MIP crown from voters. That’s how All Knicks Fan Nation’s Jeremy Brener sees it when he advanced The Athletic’s Andy Bailey’s position that DiVincenzo is the team’s most improved player. Bailey highlighted this key caveat that strengthens the case for the Villanova product:
“Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic are the only players in the league averaging more threes per game than DiVincenzo, and the Knicks guard is also providing at least a little punch on defense,” Bailey said.
DiVincenzo has long been a popular outside shooter. However, this season he has taken his shooting ability to the next level.
Not only is the 27-year-old shooting a career-high 40.2% from the three-point line in 2023-24, but he has called for a change in the Knicks’ spacing. The team’s offense works much better with DiVincenzo on the field. His ability to move off the ball and rotate to open up points off of cutting opportunities made him a firm target to hit in the half court.
The Delaware native’s volume shooting from the outside helped him break the franchise’s single-season three-point record this year. He is currently at 278 points with the Knicks playing their season finale against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
DiVincenzo’s improvement can also be attributed to his elevated role on offense and his career-high 28.9 minutes per game this season. Although, the MIP award goes to the player who shows the most year-over-year statistical growth the vast majority of the time, unlike some of the other regular season awards.