The landscape of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award is undergoing a transformative phase. Traditionally, this honor has been dominated by explosive bench scorers. Legends like Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams epitomized the archetype of the lethal sixth man, collectively claiming the award six times. In fact, half of the past 20 recipients were the season's leading bench scorers. However, recent trends indicate a shift subtle yet undeniable.
Changing Criteria
The 2022-23 NBA season witnessed Malcolm Brogdon securing the Sixth Man of the Year award despite finishing only fifth in bench scoring. This divergence from tradition suggests the voters are now weighing additional factors beyond sheer scoring prowess. Naz Reid's triumph this past season further cements this evolving criterion. Despite ranking 12th in scoring among players who came off the bench at least 30 times, Reid clinched the esteemed award.
Remarkably, Reid's victory also marked a rare achievement in another sense. He became just the third center in NBA history to win the award, joining Montrezl Harrell and Lamar Odom as the only centers to achieve this feat in the past two decades. This underlines the growing recognition of versatile contributions over simple scoring numbers.
Unconventional Winners
Reid's award win introduces a new layer of unpredictability into the Sixth Man of the Year race. As one analyst succinctly put it, "For Reid to win again, you're relying on either Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns to get injured again, for Reid to thrive again, and for the field to be as weak or weaker than it was a year ago." This quote underscores the fortuitous circumstances that can sometimes propel a player into the limelight.
Expanding on this theme of unpredictability, Josh Hart's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. From February 1st through the end of last season, Hart averaged just below 40 minutes per game. His workload ramped up even further during New York's first nine playoff games, where he averaged an astonishing 46.4 minutes per game. Notably, Hart downplayed a Twitter joke regarding his versatile role, light-heartedly declaring, "I am a 1-4, not a center," in response to the news of Mitchell Robinson's unavailability for the season's start. Yet, as another observer mused, "Tom Thibodeau is just going to make him do center things because Tom Thibodeau makes him do everything."
Odds and Contenders
Looking forward, the betting odds provide an intriguing glimpse into the potential frontrunners for the upcoming Sixth Man of the Year award. Malik Monk currently stands with odds of +575, while Naz Reid trails closely with odds of +700. Meanwhile, Grayson Allen is positioned at +1000.
In addition to Reid's expectations, other notable contenders like the Mavericks' Jaden Hardy, who earned playoff minutes in his second year, and Tim Hardaway Jr., a perennial candidate for Sixth Man votes in Dallas, add depth and intrigue to the field of candidates.
Ultimately, the Sixth Man of the Year award's evolving criteria reflect the dynamic nature of the NBA itself. As the league continues to innovate and adapt, so too do the parameters by which excellence is measured. Whether future honorees will follow in the mold of prolific scorers or versatile contributors remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the award is moving beyond the traditional confines of scoring, celebrating a more holistic brand of basketball excellence.