New York Knicks: How many awards could they win?

The almighty New York Knicks are once again relevant in a season that has provided us with countless mind-blowing surprises, such as trades, signings and storylines

Currently occupying the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-27 has re-introduced the feeling of excitement in the life of an average Joe supporting the New York Knicks. For God’s sake, they’ve even displaced the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat and dropped them into the play-in seeds.

With a fractionally small portion of the season still left to play, it’s beginning to look even more likely that the Knicks will be participating in playoff basketball in May. If your last recollection of Knicks playing postseason basketball seems like an eternity ago to you, that’s because it’s true, as one would have to go back all the way to 2013.

This rapid shift in the team’s culture has to be credited towards certain excellent organizational changes that were made last season. The tip of the iceberg was, of course, evaluating this exciting young core and putting Tom Thibodeau in charge of it, a man with great experience.

The New York Knicks have gone from a laughingstock to a rising stock, as multiple players could even receive award recognition for their efforts.

Let us examine all the different scenarios in which a member of the New York Knicks could bring home an individual award when this season is done and dusted. A single article may seem like a huge waste of time on this, but it turns out there is a handful of potential winners in New York.

By starting from the top and going all the way down, neglecting Tom Thibodeau as one of the favorites for the Coach of the Year award is purely absurd at this point.

Out West, the dominant performances of the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns have their respective coaches, Quin Snyder and Monty Williams as the current front-runners. However, neither of these two had as little to work with as Thibodeau.

More from New York Knicks

• NBA Trades: This swing-for-the-fences deal is a must for the Knicks
• Ranking Leon Rose’s three best and worst moves as Knicks President
• New York Knicks: Why Julius Randle is essential for the Knicks
• Should the Knicks trade up into the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft?
• Knicks 2023 offseason primer: free agents, trades, draft needs and more

The Atlanta Hawks have flourished under Nate McMillan, though the relatively small sample must have him as a wild pick for the award, and not as one of the favorites. If a coach that changed a team’s entire culture is what you’re looking for, then look no further than Mr. Tom.

Regardless of how exceptional Thibodeau has been at his job, he isn’t the one sweating on the court. Here’s where Julius Randle comes into the conversation, the clear-cut favorite for the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Randle has been averaging 23.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range, all of which are career-highs. He’s also scored 30-plus points in four straight games. Need I say more?

On top of that, him being a member of an All-NBA Team is definitely within the realm of possibility. This, of course, will be primarily determined by whether the New York Knicks make the playoffs or not.

Moving on, the surprising emergence of Nerlens Noel has rendered him a valid candidate for either one of the All-Defensive Teams. In Mitchell Robinson’s absence, Noel has stepped up and defended New York’s paint like very few would have the ability to do so.

https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1383869452886831105?s=20

Nerlens currently ranks fourth amongst the league’s top shot-blockers, despite only playing an average of 23.3 minutes per night. His effect on the team’s already elite defense is something that is not easily measured by sheer numbers.

Last but not least, one cannot talk about New York Knicks players shinning individually without at least mentioning Immanuel Quickley. The rookie sensation has had an incredible first season in the NBA, after getting selected with the 25th overall pick last fall.

According to bookies, he was one of the favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award just a few short months back, though has dropped due to a small minute reduction. Still, to this day, he remains a lock for either of the All-Rookie Teams at the end of the season.

Who would’ve thought that we would be talking about the New York Knicks of all teams and discussing multiple award winners at the end of the season? The 2020-21 Knicks are a true revelation and a joy to watch. We’re definitely up for a ride in the near future.