Top 3 candidates for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year
Every year, the NBA sixth man of the year award is given to the best performing player coming off the bench. The recipient is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from across the USA and Canada. The latest recipient of the award was Montrezl Harrell, who recently moved from the LA Clippers to their city rivals and defending NBA champions LA Lakers.
Top 3 favorites to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
For the 2020-21 NBA season, a number of players have emerged as serious candidates due to their performances over the past few weeks. In this article, we look at the current top 3 contenders for the Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2020-21 NBA season.
#3 Goran Dragic (Miami Heat)
Goran Dragic was expected to emerge as a strong contender for this season’s Sixth Man of the Year award, and he has fulfilled those expectations. The Miami Heat have had a mixed season and currently find themselves in 11th position in the NBA Eastern Conference.
However, Goran Dragic has been consistent since the beginning, and has come up with crucial performances off the bench. Dragic is currently averaging 14.4 points and 5.3 assists, and has had to fill in with the Miami Heat missing multiple players, especially towards the start of the season.
#2 Chris Boucher (Toronto Raptors)
Another player who has impressed consistently coming off the bench is the Raptors’ big man Chris Boucher. The Canadian international has been instrumental for the Toronto Raptors this season and has contributed on both ends of the court.
He is currently averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, and will be instrumental if the Toronto Raptors end up mounting a serious playoff run. Chris Boucher was not expected to be a serious contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award, but recent performances have resulted in him becoming the second favorite to win it.
#1 Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz)
The Utah Jazz have emerged on top of the tougher NBA Western Conference and have been an absolute team unit so far in the 2020-21 NBA season. With the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert leading the side to a phenomenal 19-5 record in the 2020-21 NBA season so far, Jordan Clarkson has also been instrumental coming off the bench.
Currently, Jordan Clarkson appears to be the runaway favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, producing 17.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Despite his role as a substitute, Jordan Clarkson is the second-highest per-game scorer on the Utah Jazz roster, after star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.