NBA Sixth Man of the Year: December 17th, 2021 | Latest Power Rankings by Sportskeeda
Another week of the NBA season has passed, and there's a number of teams who have stamped themselves as potential championship contenders.
The Western Conference's Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns continue to lead the NBA, sharing the best record at 23-5 entering Friday night's games. Right behind them are the always-solid Utah Jazz (20-7), who have won eight straight games. In the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets (21-8) have won four in a row, and the Milwaukee Bucks (19-11) have won 13 of their past 16 games.
Meanwhile, the Sixth Man of the Year race continues to have a slew of impressive contributors from the second unit.
Let's take a look at this week's Sixth Man of the Year power rankings.
No. 5: Jalen Brunson
Previous week’s NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Ranking - #5
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 2; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 27; Games won - 14; Games lost - 13
Last Week: PPG - 13.0, APG - 3.5, RPG - 5.3
Overall: PPG - 14.8, APG - 5.0, RPG - 4.0
Last Week: FG% - 47.6%, 3P% - 20.0%, FT% - 71.4%
Overall: FG% - 49.7%, 3P% - 32.5%, FT% - 77.0%
Although the the Dallas Mavericks (14-14) have lost 10 of their past 15 games, they have nevertheless won two of their past three games with marquee player Luka Doncic sidelined with an ankle injury. Their only loss in that span came Wednesday, 107-104 in overtime against the LA Lakers. Veteran guard Jalen Brunson continues to be a consistent contributor.
KP x JB
36 combined PTS https://t.co/bBFwJJC5vo
Brunson has built a reputation as one of the more underrated guards, and his play this year continues to prove that. In his last week, Brunson averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. To stop the Mavericks' slide since being 9-4 in mid-November, the team is going to need Brunson to keep up his play.
No. 4: Dennis Schroder
Previous week’s NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Ranking - N/A
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 0; Games lost - 3
Overall: Games played - 27; Games won - 13; Games lost - 14
Last Week: PPG - 14.7, APG - 5.3, RPG - 2.7
Overall: PPG - 17.1, APG - 4.8, RPG - 3.6
Last Week: FG% - 43.2%, 3P% - 18.2%, FT% - 83.3%
Overall: FG% - 43.8%, 3P% - 33.6%, FT% - 89.6%
Boston Celtics veteran guard Dennis Schroder makes his debut in the Sixth Man of the Year power rankings. A journeyman guard who has been a popular name in Sixth Man of the Year conversations before, Schroder has been an outstanding asset off the bench for the Celtics.
Although Boston (14-14) has been middling all season, Schroder has been one of the more pleasant additions to any roster in the league this year.
SCHROD3R https://t.co/cD2UcO22rX
In his last week, Schroder averaged 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.2% from the field. It was a bit of a down week for Schroder, which just goes to show how strong his play has been this year. He has the ability to be a factor in the Sixth Man of the Year race.