Top 5 Sixth Men In 2010

[DrReality]

By: Travis Heath Last Updated: 8/25/09 5:39 PM ET | 5992 times read

Adjust font size:The so-called sixth man has a very important role on any good NBA team. It requires a special kind of personality to excel in such a role, too. Often times these players are asked to provide a spark off the bench while simultaneously checking a good portion of their ego at the door.

It's easy to rattle off clichés such as, "It's not who starts the game but who finishes it." While such sentiment sounds good on paper, it usually doesn't sound so good to a player once he's the one who is asked to actually assume the role.

Today HOOPSWORLD takes a look at five players projected to be the top five sixth men in basketball next season. Like with any story that requires some kind of peek into the future, this is all based on informed speculation and past history. It should be noted that certain players who were very good sixth men last season won't be included on this list for various reasons.

One such player is Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith. While he finished second in the voting last season for the Sixth Man of the Year award, the smart money says he will be a starter in Denver this season thus disqualifying him from consideration.

Another player who you will not find on the list is Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap. When Carlos Boozer was healthy last season, Millsap was relegated to the role of sixth man. After getting a big contract this offseason and with Carlos Boozer reportedly on the trading block, it seems likely Millsap will be a starter this season.

In short, both players were excluded because there is a high likelihood that both will be starters next season. If that doesn't happen, obviously both could be contenders for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2009-10.

Another player who was in the mix was free agent Nate Robinson. Should he return to the Knicks and remain a sixth man, he will likely be in the top-five. Certainly New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni's style of play will help put up some very gaudy numbers. However, given the uncertainty of his situation and the potential that he might start if he goes elsewhere, he was not included on today's list.

One final player who drew substantial consideration was Mike Miller of the Washington Wizards. Many people forget he won the award in 2005-06 as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. The primary reason Miller was excluded was because nobody really knows what to expect quite yet in terms of lineups with a new coach in Flip Saunders and with seven or eight players on the roster legitimately capable of starting. All that said, if Miller does end up coming off the bench, don't be surprised if he is in the running for the award next spring.

With those caveats out of the way, here's the list:

1. Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks

Terry put up great numbers for the Mavericks last season and is completely comfortable with his role. Given his talent and shooting ability, there is always a chance he could start some games next season if the Mavericks opt to go small. That said, head coach Rick Carlisle was very vocal about how he liked the luxury of having Jet coming off the bench last season. Terry averaged nearly 20 points per contest last season and played an average of almost 34 minutes per game. If he's still a reserve next season and plays the same kind of minutes, it's hard to see any other candidate putting up better numbers than Terry, and good numbers never hurt a player's bid to win an individual award.

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View Travis Heath Archive 2. Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers

Despite what he often said publicly last season, Odom was bothered by being relegated to the role of sixth man. And true to form for his career, he was not a player the Lakers could count on every night in 2008-09. That said, one has to believe Odom has seen the light now after finally being part of a championship team. Los Angeles would not have won a title without him, and the amount of money he got from the Lakers this summer should have made it abundantly clear that he is valued by the club. A happy Odom should mean a more productive and consistent Odom. If that indeed is true, expect Odom to be one of the NBA's stop sixth men in 2009-10.

3. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs

It seems like every season head coach Gregg Popovich starts Ginobili for a period of time only to discover that he prefers to have him coming off the bench. Heading into this season, there is certainly no guarantee Ginobili will be a reserve. But if history is any indication, expect Ginobili to come off the bench for enough games to qualify for Sixth Man of the Year votes. Despite his injury problems a season ago, Ginobili still received seven total votes for the award last season. The big question for Ginobili will be health. If he can stay healthy, his numbers as well as his clutch shooting ability will make him one of the league's most productive and feared sixth men.

4. Chris Andersen, Denver Nuggets

The player the fans in Denver call "Birdman" probably should have gotten some votes last season for Sixth Man of the Year. He changed the game as much as any player in the league coming off the bench. The problem was he technically wasn't the sixth man on his own team with that title belonging to J.R. Smith. With Smith likely moving to the starting lineup this season, Andersen can now officially assume the title of sixth man. And given the way he changes the game with his shot blocking ability and high flying dunks, expect him to get a lot of attention from the voters this season. Also, don't forget that Andersen led the NBA in blocked shots per minute last season and altered more shots per minute than any other player in the NBA (even though this is not a stat that is officially tracked by the league). As such, Andersen has plenty of substance to complement his one of a kind style.

5. Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns

It was a rough season in 2008-09 for Barbosa. In addition to having to adjust to Terry Porter's slower pace of play earlier in the season, Barbosa also lost his mother. Understandably, it just seemed like he could never really got on track. With Alvin Gentry's up-tempo style of play returning to the Valley of the Sun for what will presumably be the entire season, expect Barbosa to have a bounce back campaign. The "Brazilian Blur" is a prototypical game-changer off the bench and won the award during the 2006-07 season playing the same style of basketball the Suns are expected to play next season. All signs point towards Barbosa having a very nice season.

[TheTruth]

I agree with the first three (I would flip flop Odom and Ginobli). Crawford won't make 6th Man of the Year, but he would certainly get it over Anderson and maybe Barbosa.

[sportsfreak475]

Jet looks like he'll take it again. For a sixth man, he plays a lot of minutes which obviously helps his numbers. I don't know about Odom, he might start this year.

[bonethugz]

nobody really wants to win this kind of awards. specially crawford, either if he cares about only himself or he cares only about the team.