With more than halfway through the NBA regular season this season, goals are clear for almost all teams in the league with the upcoming All-Star weekend and trade deadline. The first echelon led by the Sun, Warriors, and Bulls launched an attack for the purpose of the championship, while the belly of the magic, rocket, piston and other fish belly swooped down to win the lottery.
Of course, in addition to the team, many players have also played brilliantly this year, including the top substitutes of various teams. Let's take a look at how the candidates for this year's top five best sixth-person awards have played.
1. Taylor Hilo
Even after a recent three-game losing streak, the Heat still have the advantage of the previous record, ranking second only to the Bulls in the East, and in addition to the excellent performances of All-Star players such as Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, and so on, the third-year Taylor Hiro is also the key to the rise of the Heat. This season, as the sixth person on the team's bench, he averaged 20 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4 assists per game, and many statistics set a career high. What makes the Heat fans more happy and hopeful is that he is only 22 years old, and there is still a high room for development in the future. In the playoffs last season, facing the former defeated Bucks, the Heat were unexpectedly swept out.
Hiro's hopes as a team, with an average of only 9.3 points in four games, are completely failing. As a result, he continued to improve himself in the offseason, and it was clear that his current performance was enough to prove that his efforts had not been in vain. Compared with the past, Hiro's scoring method is not limited to three-point projection, he has strengthened his personal interior scoring ability, but also more involved in the fast attack, it is his rise this season, to the boss Butler to reduce a lot of pressure, which has the team's current record. Now Hiro is dissatisfied with being a pitcher, and he is constantly developing organizationally, and Coach Spoo is full of praise for his beloved disciple. With a record of second, Hiro is expected to be able to make his first All-Star trip, and the more important trophy of best sixth man is beckoning to him.
2. Kevin Loafer
Although Hiro's performance is quite explosive, he is not as stable as he thinks in this list. In the past two seasons, once rumored and the Cavaliers management has torn their faces, and even confirmed by the media to be on the shelves, former All-Star power forward Kevin Love has played an unexpected performance this season. With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in quick succession, Love naturally had to make way for the younger. But in the hands of Coach Bixtaf, Love ushered in the second spring of his career. As the team's substitute interior lineman, he can still contribute 14.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 22 minutes of playing time per game, and his efficiency is also considerable.
Before Rubio had no season reimbursement, Lefour and his old teammates cooperated to lead the team's second team to be invincible, punishing opponents with their wide range. And when he appeared with Mobli and Allen, the "three towers" tactic also played a huge role. Their height and rim-guarding ability on the defensive end are almost among the best in the league, while love on the offensive end can use their strengths to open up space for the two lads and give them the opportunity to single inside. He took advantage of the neutral opportunity to complete the deadly outside projection. Happy in his second year, and the Cavaliers' record continues to rise, he definitely qualifies for the best sixth man.
3. Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson, the best sixth-man trophy winner last season, has slipped this season, but he remains a favorable contender for the trophy. Compared to last season, Clarkson's number of shots has decreased, and the ball is distributed more to his teammates. But he still has 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season, and it's important to note that once he leaves Clarkson, the team's bench is missing offensive starting points. In this season's Clarkson scored in double figures, the Jazz record reached 27-14, and the record when not in doubles or absent was 4-7, which is enough to illustrate Clarkson's importance to the Jazz.
In addition, unlike the previous one who was obsessed with singles, today's "Gram 6" has become more and more integrated into the Jazz system, strictly implementing the tactics laid out by Coach Snyder. Once Clarkson is able to open the game, or continue to explode, it will be almost impossible for opponents to limit his scoring wave. If the Jazz want the shame of being eliminated last season this year, Clarkson must be a key part of the team's playoffs. Of course, now that he has fully adapted to the role of the sixth person, he is currently pointing to the best sixth person to defend the title.
4. Kelly Oubre
Last season, after a not-so-happy season with the Warriors, Oubre chose to test the free market in the summer, and was appreciated by Jordan, signing a two-year, $24.6 million short contract, for the 26-year-old Oubre, whether he can prove himself this season is related to whether he can get the next big contract. Apparently, Oubre and the Hornets hit it off. With the starting position occupied by Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges, he accepted the role of sixth man on the bench. Average time per game fell to the lowest 28.1 minutes in nearly four seasons, but efficiency did not drop but increased.
He currently averages 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, and his shooting and three-point shooting rate are career highs. Facing the Pacers last week, he came off the bench and shot 10 three-pointers, slashing 39 points to lead the team to victory. In addition, when the main player was injured, he was in danger, starting from the victory over the Magic on November 25 to the loss to the Lone Rangers on December 14, in a total of 10 games, Oubre played 9 20+ performances, averaging 24.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals per game, and completely lost all-Star players. And more importantly, Oubre's performance has been fairly stable. With such a great performance, Oubre definitely has the chance to finish the best sixth man.
5. Cameron Anthony
Although Anthony is less likely to win this trophy than the top four, I still put him on this list, not only because he has been in the league, but also because his performance this year has really touched people's hearts. In the game against the Blazers, he just shot 24 points and 8 rebounds, proving that he can still teach young players a lesson even if he is past the peak. As a 37-year-old veteran, he has played 49 games this season, second only to Westbrook in the team. And although he has been reduced to a substitute, he has accepted the new role calmly and has repeatedly saved the team at key moments.
Averaging 13.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, coupled with a fairly consistent shooting percentage over the last three seasons, Anthony's performance is definitely worthy of everyone's praise. In addition, Anthony also brought his total score to the 28,000-point mark the other day, ranking ninth in NBA history. Regardless of whether he wins a championship in his career, he will be a future Hall of Famer, and his excellent performance so far this season is enough to enter the nomination of the best sixth man, which is the best compliment for a legendary star.