Sixth Man of the Year
DJ: Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have a tremendous amount of depth on their roster this coming season. Dinwiddie is, by far, the best player coming off of Brooklyn’s bench, though. If he can average 15/5/5 on a top-3 seed in the Eastern Conference, he could lock this award up.
JT: Dennis Schroder, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are going to be a powerhouse this season and their bench is the deepest in the league with last year’s 6th Man of the Year also coming off the bench.
MO: Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
This Utah Jazz team is pretty devoid of scoring on its bench. This award often comes down to what bench player scores the most points. Jordan Clarkson is oftentimes going to have to completely carry this second unit.
PF: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Second-year Heat guard Tyler Herro is coming off of a fantastic rookie season, playing a huge role in getting Miami to the NBA Finals. Now in his sequel season, Herro is poised to become the new Devin Booker, the guy everyone thought would be a role player who shoots well coming out of college who transforms into a legitimate star who gets buckets. Herro doesn’t shy away from big moments, and as the sixth man off the bench will be able to win some games for the Heat while piling on the stats. Herro could also be a candidate for most improved, but that award is generally reserved for players beyond their second season. Herro is a future All-Star and fan favorite in the making, and his second season will cement his trajectory to stardom.
PL: Dennis Schroder, Los Angeles Lakers
Many fans felt like Schröder deserved 6th man of the year last season and if the Lakers have come off the bench this season, he will win 6th man with the Lakers. Schröder was a big part of the Thunder’s success last year and he averaged 18.9 points per game. It wouldn’t surprise me if he continues to have success and win 6th man.
Final count: Dennis Schroder 2, Spencer Dinwiddie 1, Jordan Clarkson 1, Tyler Herro 1