A team can become a contender if they have two or more all-stars on their roster but some teams still failed even if they had multiple all-star players. One of the important reason for this is a weak bench. And an example of this is the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. They had Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony but still struggle in the regular season and defeated in the first round by the Utah Jazz because their bench is weak. They don't have enough depth that's why the team struggles when Westbrook and George sat.
Bench players are very important for a team and there is one major factor in the bench which is called the Sixth man. The sixth man is a bench player who can lead the second unit and provide the scoring needed when the team's starters needs to take a rest. A great sixth man can impact the game immediately if their starters are on the bench and the team needs to keep the lead or stay in the game. He can also step up if some starters are having their off-game and couldn't get their shots going.
Now, I am going to discuss my top Sixth man of the year candidate for the upcoming season.
Terry Rozier
Boston Celtics yet again produced another young stud in Terry Rozier. The 6-foot-2 point guard from Louisville was drafted outside the draft lottery in the 2015 NBA Draft. Basketball analyst didn't see his potential but Scary Terry proved his worth when Boston's superstar Kyrie Irving suffered an injury. Rozier took over his starting role and he was brilliant.
Rozier averaged 15.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game as a starter. And behind that stats, Terry is so brave and has no fear to take big shots at big moments of the game. He doesn't back down and he proved that he is an important piece.
Now that Kyrie Irving is healed and expected to come back next season, Rozier will be back on the bench. But even if he will play off the bench, I believe coach Brad Stevens will give him a big role and he will still produce big numbers. Rozier has a big heart for the game and he plays all game like it was his last and that's enough for me to say that he will be a top candidate for sixth man of the year next season.
Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon is known as a great shooter and a great scorer but injuries hit him hard. Because of injuries, his potential as a great scorer falls down and he became a sixth man for the Houston Rockets. In just two seasons with the Rockets, Eric Gordon evolves his game into a whole new different level. He becomes a sixth man who deserves a starting role in any team and he become a more consistent and reliable scorer.
Gordon's role as a sixth man in Houston is so impressive. He's a great isolation player who can create his own shots, an excellent three-point shooter as always with an averaged of 37.6 percent in his career. He's also a good play maker and a good mid-range shooter. Coach Mike D' Antoni put Gordon in a perfect place in his team.
Gordon won the 2017 Sixth man of the Year Award and I think that he will still be a top candidate this season for the award. He might loose some touches with Carmelo Anthony coming to Houston but I think he'll be fine.
Lou Williams
"Sweet Lou" Lou Williams has always been in this conversation. At 31 years old, Lou finished last season with an extraordinary performance and one of the most impressive performance a bench player can have in his career. Lou averaged a sweet 22.6 points and a career high 5.3 assists per game as he took home the Sixth Man of the Year Award last season.
There are no explanation needed why Lou won the award last season as he won the award with a 249 vote margin. No doubt, Lou is on top of that conversation. Now, he is going to defend the award next season with tougher competitors.
Carmelo Anthony
Are you surprise with this one? I know you are. Haha. After a bad year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Melo decides to join the Houston Rockets. Melo didn't fit well with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Coach Billy Donovan hasn't able to utilize Anthony's talent in Oklahoma City. On the other hand, Coach Mike D' Antoni have an experience dealing with Melo back in New York and I hope he can use Melo's talent in Houston.
Coach Mike always did an excellent job putting new talents into the mix and I'm sure he will do it again with Melo coming in. Consider also the fact that Melo will play alongside two of the best play makers and passers in the history of the NBA. That will help Melo gets his shots going. If Melo agrees to sacrifice and play the bench role he can be an effective sixth man and maybe the best sixth man who can dominate the second unit and score a bunch of points against opponents bench players. Melo will be a top candidate for Sixth man of the year if he sacrifice his starting role and lead Houston's second unit. Melo is a legit scorers who averaged 20 points or more his whole career except last season so there's no doubt he can do that.
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