The sixth man of the year conversation is one of the less talked about ones in the NBA, but the players who come off your bench can really make a big difference on how successful a team is. I would go as far as to say some players coming off the bench are playing better than starters on their own team, but they stick to the bench to be a sparkplug. today, I'm going to be ranking the top 10, with detailed explanation in the top 5, of the leagues sixth men this season. stick around to find out who my pick for sixth man of the year is, this year.
Players 6-10:
Danilo Gallinari
Jalen Brunson
TJ McConnell
Bobby Portis
Joe Ingles
Chris Boucher
We hear about unsigned players being picked up by teams around the league in the hours following the NBA Draft each year. Nobody pays much attention to these signings, but we should start paying attention now that a growing number of unsigned players are succeeding in the league. Boucher, who is averaging career highs around the board with the Raptors, is one of them right now. Lu Dort and Christian Wood are two other undrafted players who have had breakthrough seasons.
Carmelo Anthony
It's hard to believe Anthony, a potential Hall of Famer, was just a year and a half ago out of the league. Although it's doubtful he'll win this honor, it'd be funny if he did, given that he chuckled at the thought of coming off the bench when he was traded to the Thunder a few years ago. Despite the fact that there are just a few games left, the 10-time NBA All-Star is shooting a career-high 40.5 percent from 3-point range. He has only shot 40% or better from beyond the arc once in his career.
Derrick Rose
Rose, who has scored 20 points or more in five of his last eight games, is quickly climbing the rankings. He's shooting just under 60% from the field and 50% from three-point range during this stretch. When Tom Thibodeau is coaching Rose, a three-time NBA All-Star and former MVP, his game still seems to improve. The two have achieved a lot together over the last decade, first in Chicago before Rose's knee injuries, then in Minnesota, and now in New York.
Jordan Clarkson
There were 17 trades made in the NBA during the 2019-20 season. The first of them was the Clarkson-to-Utah deal that transpired in December 2019. At the time, many overlooked it or simply deemed it insignificant. But now a year-and-a-half later with the Jazz legitimate title contenders, that assessment was clearly off beam. Clarkson, the heavy favorite to win this award, is averaging a career-best 17.3 points through 61 games and has scored in double figures in all but four of them.
Tim Hardaway Jr
Is Hardaway the NBA's most consistent player right now? On some nights, he's on fire, while on others, he's out of sync. For example, on April 29, he scored 42 points in a game against Detroit. He had gone 4-for-23 in a back-to-back set against the Lakers just a week before. Hardaway could be the Mavs' X-factor if they make the playoffs. Dallas is 8-5 this season when the 6-foot-5, 205-pounder has scored at least 20 points. Hardaway has been starting lately, making it debatable whether voters will consider him for this honor even though he will meet the requirements.
If you've read this far, I'm guessing you want to see the final list. well here it is:
10: Danilo Gallinari
9: Bobby Portis
8: Jalen Brunson
7: TJ McConnell
6: Joe Ingles
5: Chris Boucher
4: Carmelo Anthony
3: Tim Hardaway Jr
2: Derrick Rose
and my pick for the NBA 6MOTY goes to...
1: Jordan Clarkson