Early NBA Sixth Man of the Year rankings: Is Wade really the favorite?
Attempting to be as unbiased as possible, LeBron James recently proclaimed Cleveland Cavaliers teammate and longtime friend Dwyane Wade the "No. 1 candidate" for the 2017-18 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Wade has played his way into the conversation early in the regular season, but he's just one of many reserves across the Association worthy of such high praise.
Is it Wade's hardware to lose, or are there others ahead of him for the year-end honor?
Honorable mentions: Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics), Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs), Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers), Jonathon Simmons (Orlando Magic), Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles Lakers)
Sleeper: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Houston Rockets
View Mbah a Moute in the same light as Andre Iguodala: the Golden State Warriors veteran didn't have the sexy numbers supporting his candidacy a year ago, yet wound up a finalist for the award mostly because of his superb defending.
The Rockets' fifth-ranked defense is where it is thanks in large part to Mbah a Moute's contributions. He was brought on to serve as an anchor, and has held up more than his end of the bargain, with Houston giving up 9.5 fewer points per 100 possessions when he plays.
Coach Mike D'Antoni only goes eight deep, so Mbah a Moute - who also shoots 40.4 percent from long range - is playing just as many minutes as most starters would. If you need any more convincing, go check out his box score from the Rockets' 125-95 win over the Denver Nuggets, where he set a new NBA record with a plus-57 differential.
6) Dwyane Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers
Serving as the starting shooting guard for the opening three games, the 12-time All-Star earned major brownie points by approaching head coach Tyronn Lue and asking to become a part of the second unit, both for the betterment of the team and his own game.
His sacrifice has thus far provided positive results for a Cleveland roster currently deprived of point guards, especially on the defensive end. Then again, is Wade even the most important bench player on his own team? He'll be the first to tell you Kyle Korver is more deserving because of his superior plus-minus rating (7.2 to 4.7).
Wade is nowhere near the top among bench talent in scoring (12.9 points), and as we've seen from voters in the past, it's the numbers that ultimately win them over. Regardless, he still knows how to run an offense effectively, and at 35 years of age, going up against other reserves is a role less likely to drain his body ahead of a deep playoff run.
| Games | MP | Points | FG% | TS% | Plus-Minus | USG% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 3 | 23.6 | 5.7 | 28 | 32.8 | -7.4 | 20.9 |
| Reserve | 20 | 23.6 | 12.9 | 48.1 | 54.6 | 9.1 | 25.8 |
A "No. 1 candidate" is just pushing it, unfortunately.
5) Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers
Voter fatigue doesn't apply to someone with the skill set of Sweet Lou, who is safe for the award on a yearly basis.
Williams has always been a fairly one-dimensional guard, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's a machine on offense, and with the Clippers losing pieces left and right, has free rein to chuck up shots (13.2 FGA as reserve, 13.9 overall) wherever and whenever.
It's just too bad that for every point he puts on the scoreboard, he gives it right back on defense (109.5 defensive rating). It's been universally accepted for a long time that Williams is an incapable defender, yet that never seems to hamstring his chances for Sixth Man honors (2015 winner, third place in 2017).
He's started the last five games because of the injuries plaguing Los Angeles, so that will be something to keep tabs on moving forward as far as his eligibility for the award goes.
4) Will Barton, Denver Nuggets
On the last day of November, with the visiting Chicago Bulls at the Pepsi Center, Barton had himself a career night with 37 points (the most by any reserve this season) on 13-of-19 shooting in 35 minutes of action, capped off with a game-winning scoop layup in traffic.
One game does not make a candidacy, obviously. It's just hard to downplay 37 points from a backup, considering how rare it is.
Opportunities are plentiful in the Mile High City with the frontcourt duo of Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic sidelined. Barton, by default, becomes Denver's first- or-second option, along with Jamal Murray. Not that he needs the incentive, considering how aggressive he plays, but if there was ever a time for Barton to pad his numbers and cement himself as more of a favorite in this race, it's now.
3) Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
Insert a giant asterisk here, because Gordon wouldn't technically be eligible at this point, since he just recently moved to the bench following Chris Paul's return from injury. We'll just assume last year's recipient will continue to be a mainstay with Houston's second unit now the Point God is back.
Besides, Gordon's numbers through seven games as a backup still warrant serious consideration - especially his 30.5 net rating, far and away stronger than everyone else's.
He's currently in the midst of a frigid streak from behind the arc, converting an abysmal 22.5 percent over his last five games, but don't let that deter you. Shooters of his ilk go through ruts from time to time; Gordon definitely had a few in 2016-17, and he still wound up winning.
2) Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz
Hood's 19.3 points are enough to be atop the Jazz in scoring, making Utah the only team with a bench player leading the way in that department - a fact voters would likely salivate over if it keeps up.
The past six winners of the trophy have finished fourth or better in scoring, and Hood - who's missed five games in a row with a bum ankle - now has a full 1.6-point lead to be first overall in reserve points per game.
| Year | Player | Team | Points | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Eric Gordon | Houston Rockets | 16.3 | 2 |
| 2015-16 | Jamal Crawford | Los Angeles Clippers | 13.2 | 4 |
| 2014-15 | Lou Williams | Toronto Raptors | 15.5 | 3 |
| 2013-14 | Jamal Crawford | Los Angeles Clippers | 17.2 | 2 |
| 2012-13 | J.R. Smith | New York Knicks | 18.1 | 1 |
| 2011-12 | James Harden | Oklahoma City Thunder | 16.9 | 1 |
(courtesy: NBA Stats)
The 25-year-old is actually garnering roughly the same playing time as a backup (27.6) as he did in 2016-17 as a starter for 55 of his 59 appearances (27), with rookie Donovan Mitchell being inserted at the two spot instead. Hood still gets burn late in games, at least, and is one of just two players (alongside Gordon) ranked in the top 10 in bench scoring with a positive plus-minus rating.
1) Tyreke Evans, Memphis Grizzlies
Evans has become an under-the-radar, feel-good story out in Memphis, turning himself into one of the league's biggest bargains on a measly one-year, $3.3-million contract.
Being available for all 23 outings for the Grizzlies and performing at such a high level can't be understated, considering he's missed a total of 99 games over the past two seasons, with his value plummeting in the process. Evans leads all second-unit players with 12 games of 18 or more points, and has bumped his 3-point efficiency to 43 percent as a career 30.6 shooter.
An argument can be made that Evans has been Memphis' best player, factoring in Mike Conley's prolonged absence and Marc Gasol's declining productivity. Everyone loves a good comeback story, so as long as he doesn't fall off completely, Evans could be in the driver's seat to become the second player (Mike Miller) to ever win both Rookie and Sixth Man of the Year.