6th Man of the Year Ladder

Things worth noting:

-Of 38 6th Man of the Year winners, 36 of them have made the playoffs.

-14 of the last 15 winners before last season were shooting guards.

-Only twice has the award gone to a center. Bill Walton, in the fourth year of its existence (1985-86) and Montrezl Harrell last season.

For reference, all these players are especially efficient on both ends because of their limited and optimized usage. The league average for Effective Field Goal percentage (efg) is 53, and league average True Shooting percentage (ts%) is 56. League average defensive rating is 110.1 (lower numbers are better).

1. Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz PG

17.4 pts 4.1 reb 2.1 ast 0.9 stl

-2.8 net defensive rating

49/43/94 shooting 61 efg 63 ts%

The preseason favorite is also the current favorite, delivering on all expectations. He’s been spectacular scoring the ball and providing a spark to Utah's bench unit, the definition of a 6th man’s responsibilities. The Jazz are pretty good, too, and narrative matters a lot for this award. You don’t need to be on a great team, but like with everything, spotlight makes you more relevant.

2. Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors C

16.1 pts 7.0 reb 1.1 ast

0.6 stl 2.5 blk -2.0 net defensive rating

59/48/76 shooting 70 efg 73 ts%

No one else on this list is offering the block numbers or efficiency that Boucher boasts. While 14 of the last 15 6th Men of the Year have been shooting guards, Montrezl Harrell winning the most recent edition bodes well for Boucher. He’s only behind Clarkson because of how unprecedented his heretofore success has been. Clarkson is a known commodity, whereas Boucher is a Most Improved Player contender.

3. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat PG

15.2 pts 2.4 reb 5.3 ast

0.5 stl -2.2 net defensive rating

51/34/82 shooting 57 efg 62 ts%

Dragic has been an All-Star, All-NBA, and Most Improved Player. He was the leading scorer on a team that made the NBA Finals. He would really round out his trophy case with this award. That would really make him a contender for the most decorated player to not be in the Hall of Fame. But yeah, with respect to this season, Dragic has been a scarce bright spot for the reigning Eastern Conference champs. They’ve been recalibrating on the fly after getting decimated for a week-plus by COVID protocols, and are on the long climb back up. That should do Goran some favors.

4. Shake Milton, Philadelphia 76ers SG

16.9 pts 1.8 reb 3.7 ast

1.2 stl 0.3 blk 98.9 defensive rating (-6.8 net difference)

50/33/85 shooting 57 efg 62 ts%

Milton is 7th in the NBA in individual DRTG, partially but far from entirely a product of Philly being 3rd as a team. He’s had a tremendous year, wonderfully complementing both Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey.

5. Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Lakers C

14.0 pts 7.4 reb 0.9 ast

0.5 stl 0.6 blk +0.3 net defensive rating

64/0/70 shooting 64 efg 66 ts%

The reigning winner of this award. He has had a different role. The Lakers lead the NBA in defensive rating, so while his negative net looks ugly, he’s still 5 points better than average in DRTG. As the best center contender, he would be higher on this list, but Chris Boucher exists this season.

6. Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns PF

12.2 pts 3.3 reb 1.6 ast

1.0 stocks 99.8 defensive rating (9.0 net difference)

47/39/86 shooting 60 efg 62 ts%

The Suns are barely above average on defense, so that defensive rating is absolutely absurd. It’s the 12th-best individual mark in the NBA, but every player except for Johnson and OKC’s Aleksej Pokusevski is on a top-10 defense. Johnson has played more minutes or games than every single player above him. And he’s doing it on extraordinary shooting. We are starting the narrative that defense matters for 6th Man of the Year. Right now, 39 years in, on this very column.

7. Derrick Rose, Detroit Pistons PG

15.5 pts 2.0 reb 5.1 ast

1.4 stl 0.3 blk -1.8 net defensive rating

44/33/83 shooting 48 efg 54 ts%

8. Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic SF

16.4 pts 2.7 reb 1.7 ast

1.1 stl 0.3 blk -2.1 net defensive rating

43/38/91 shooting 52 efg 57 ts%

9. Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets SG

15.1 pts 2.1 reb 1.9 ast

0.9 stl 0.8 blk -2.5 net defensive rating

45/31/86 shooting 55 efg 59 ts%

10. Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs PG

14.7 pts 1.6 reb 3.1 ast 3.9 ast:to

0.2 stl 0.1 blk -5.7 net defensive rating

43/39/85 shooting 61 efg 63 ts%