Does New York Knicks' Donte DiVincenzo Have a Most Improved Player Case?

A career-best showing from Donte DiVincenzo has been one of the most pleasant surprises of this New York Knicks season.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 13, 2024

Apr 9, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) defends New York Knicks / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo is enjoying the best season of his career after signing a four-year, $50 million deal in Manhattan over the offseason.

Formerly of Golden State, DiVincenzo has flourished since taking a spot in the Knicks' starting five, averaging 15.4 points. He left an immediate impact on the Knicks' record book, as DiVincenzo's 278 three-pointers are third in the league and stand as a new franchise single-season record.

Apr 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives against New / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

In a team-by-team listing, Andy Bailey named DiVincenzo the Knicks' most improved player, and it's possible he could have a case for the national award later this spring.

"There's a legitimate argument to go with Jalen Brunson here. Going from fringe All-Star to an All-NBA lock is not an easy leap to make, and he made it," Bailey writes. "But the more traditional "Most Improved" season came from Donte DiVincenzo, who went from 9.4 points and 2.1 threes in 2022-23 to 15.4 points and 3.5 threes, with a career-high 40.5 three-point percentage."

"Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić 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 defensively."

In 62 starts, DiVincenzo is averaging 17.6 points. The Knicks haven't looked back, going 39-22 since he earned his promotion after a mediocre start, as his efforts have given the Knicks a shot at the second seed in the Eastern Conference entering the final day of the regular season.

DiVincenzo has one last chance to add to his historic tally and help the Knicks reach that elusive height on Sunday afternoon when New York hosts the Chicago Bulls (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Published Apr 13, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.