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The NBA season is almost three quarters of the way through and award races are starting to tighten up. One of those races is for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
In the past, the award has been dominated by NBA scoring guards like Lou Williams, Jamal Crawford, and JR Smith. Last year, the trend was slightly bucked as it was a scoring center who won the award; Montrezl Harrell. Will the trend of scoring guards continue to be the dominant one or will the trend continued to be challenged this year?
NBA Candidate Number 5: Dario Saric of the Phoenix Suns
Dario Saric is an under talked about player in this conversation. Dario is only averaging 9.9 points per game, but his impact goes far beyond simple counting stats. He has been one of the best defensive bench players in the NBA.
He has a 110.4 Defensive Rating and a 1.44 Defensive Plus Minus. Those stats are really impressive for a player like Saric who was not known for his defense prior to this year. Dario also makes his NBA team really sing offensively. He is great at making the extra pass and he stretches the floor well too. Saric is not the traditional pick for a Sixth Man of the Year winner, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation.
Candidate Number 4: Norman Powell
Norman Powell had been one of the few bright spots for the struggling Toronto Raptors before his NBA deadline move to the Portland Trail Blazers. Powell is averaging a smooth 19.7 points per game on 64.5% true shooting. Powell is also a solid defender and can improve is spot on this list with the Trail Blazers. He could potentially close games for them at the small forward spot.
He is a good scorer and defender and that's about the most you can ask for from an NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate. What really makes Powell special is that efficiency. He is almost 7 percentage points above the league average for true shooting and that makes Powell a very valuable bench player.
Candidate Number 3: Thaddeus Young
Thad Young has been the second best player on this competitive Bulls team throughout the first half of the NBA season despite coming off the bench.
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He is one of the best two-way bench players in the NBA and his position as a forward is very useful. Young is averaging 12.2 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game. These stats are pretty solid all-around, but the assists undersells his ability as a playmaker. He is an excellent roll-man, specifically on the short roll, and he really greases the wheels for this Bulls offense. He is a great help defender as well.
He is one of the best helpside rim protectors in the NBA and off the bench that becomes very valuable.
Candidate Number 2: Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson tends to be seen as number one on the list, and that is certainly warranted. Clarkson has been one of the best scorers on the best team in the NBA.
Clarkson is averaging 17.1 points per game on around league average efficiency, 55.6% true shooting. He might be the best isolation player on the Jazz and his ability to be a three level scorer is very valuable for any NBA player who comes off the bench. He has been a prolific volume scorer all year and Quin Snyder's offense has really set him free.
Candidate Number 1: Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles is not the popular choice for this award, but he makes a lot of sense and deserves to be heavily in the conversation. He is averaging 12.3 points per game and 4.3 assists. What makes his NBA season really special is his historic efficiency.
Ingles currently has a 72.5% true shooting, which if he continues on this level, would be the greatest true shooting in the history of the NBA. His shooting from behind the arc has been amazing and he does a great job running pick and rolls for the Jazz. Ingles has cemented himself as one of the best 6th men in the whole league and he's heavily in the running for the award this year.
