Malik Monk is the Kings’ energizer off the bench. He comes into the game and immediately makes his presence felt. Monk is fearless as a scorer from pretty much anywhere on the court, can take over games when needed, and has made huge strides as a playmaker this season.
Currently, he is the Kings’ fourth-leading scorer with 14.6 points, leads the team in blocks, and is tied with De’Aaron Fox for the second-most assists per game on the team with 5.3.
He is one of the best bench players in the league right now and entered the Sixth Man of the Year race last season. After finishing fifth behind Malcolm Brogdon, Immanuel Quickley, Bobby Portis Jr., and Norman Powell in the final voting, he is once again one of the top candidates.
So, let’s look at six players he is competing with for the award.
6. Norman Powell
Norman Powell finished last season as one of the top names in the Sixth Man of the Year race and is once again making a solid case for the award. Averaging 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1 assists he is crucial to the Clippers’ success.
Coming off the bench, he is their fourth-leading scorer behind only Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden. His scoring allows the Clippers to go to the bench, knowing that the offense will still flow and work well.
The availability of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is the biggest reason for the Clippers’ success, but Powell is an integral piece of the puzzle. Record matters in this conversation, and the Clippers are currently sitting in third place in the West, aiding Powell’s case.
5. Jordan Clarkson
After breaking the team up and shipping out Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley, the Utah Jazz were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, they got off to a hot start in 2022 and showed some real potential.
Now, they are actually sitting in tenth place in the West, ahead of the Rockets, the Warriors, the Grizzlies, the Trail Blazers, and the Spurs, bound for the PlayIn Tournament. Jordan Clarkson is a big part of that.
In 2021, he won the Sixth Man of the Year award, playing extremely well off the bench. When the team moved off their All-Stars, he became a starter and played well in that role too. By now, he has settled back into his bench role, however, averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
He is tied with Collin Sexton for the second-most points per game on the Jazz roster and leads the team in assists. The Jazz are not winning at a crazy rate, but they are also not stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference, and Clarkson’s numbers definitely shouldn’t be overlooked.
4. Bogdan Bogdanovic
Former Sacramento King Bogdan Bogdanovic is thriving in Atlanta. Coming off the bench for the Hawks, he is averaging 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals.
He is the team’s third-leading scorer and attempts the second-most threes. Known as a sharpshooter and talented scorer, the Hawks trust Bogdanovic to bring some good energy and fire off the bench.
So far, he hasn’t disappointed. Just in January, he scored between 10 and 24 points in every game except one. February is starting to look very similar, and by now, Bogdanovic’s name is firmly etched into the Sixth Man of the Year race.
His numbers certainly fit the requirements, but the Hawks’ record could hurt his case. Atlanta currently holds the last PlayIn spot in the Eastern Conference with a 22-28 record.
Their defense is abysmal, and the vision of a Trae Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt just isn’t working out. Bogdanovic is putting up great numbers, but they don’t always lead to wins.
3. Caris LeVert
Between Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the Cleveland Cavaliers have plenty of young talent and star power. After a disappointing first playoff outing last season, they reshaped the supporting cast and were set for another successful regular season.
When Mobley and Garland both went down with serious injuries, that seemed to be in jeopardy. The Cavaliers prevailed, however, and are currently sitting in second place in the East. LeVert is a big part of that, contributing an average of 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
His scoring has been rather consistent all season long, which has been crucial for the team while key players were out with injuries. Plus, LeVert had to fill in as the Cavaliers’ backup ball handler quite a lot.
With Garland and Ty Jerome both out, Mitchell had to shift to the starting point guard spot, and Craig Porter was the only backup point guard left. LeVert stepped in, helping out with the playmaking and contributing to the team’s success on several levels.
2. Naz Reid
The Minnesota Timberwolves might just have the best big-man rotation in the NBA. Naz Reid could be a starter on several teams in the league but is coming off the bench for the Timberwolves.
Averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 41.5 percent shooting from three, he is on track to have the best season of his career. Those aren’t just empty numbers either. The Timberwolves are the second seed in a competitive Western Conference.
Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley are obviously the bigger names on the team, leading the charge, but Reid is just as important. His unique skill set makes him a solid fit next to either starting big, and they can go to the bench without giving up too much size, shooting, or scoring.
Reid is one of three Timberwolves averaging over 40 percent shooting from three and the team’s fourth-leading scorer. He is a huge part of their success, and the rate at which his team is winning will certainly help his case.
Over the last ten seasons, only one center—Montrezl Harrell—won the Sixth Man of the Year award, however. All other winners are classified as shooting guards, showing a strong preference for one position.
1. Tim Hardaway Jr.
After starting 45 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season, Tim Hardaway Jr. is now primarily coming off the bench again. Averaging 17.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, he is one of the best bench scorers in the league this season.
The Mavericks are not quite as good as they would probably want to be, as they are currently in the PlayIn picture rather than the playoffs. Without Hardaway Jr., they might be doing even worse, though.
Kyrie Irving has only played 28 games this season, meaning that the Mavericks have been missing around 25 points per game for a large part of the season, and Luka Doncic has been carrying a gigantic usage rate.
Hardaway Jr. is the third-leading scorer on the team behind Doncic and Irving and the only one who could possibly help Doncic make up for Irving’s production sitting on the bench. Derrick Jones Jr. is the only other Mavericks player averaging double-digits, meaning that there is not much help coming from the rest of the supporting cast.
Just this year, Hardaway Jr. has recorded three games with at least 30 points, including a 41-point performance in a 125-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Scoring-wise, he is the most productive bench player out of this group, and most betting sites have him as the current favorite to win the award. Of course, this doesn’t mean that no one else has a chance, but Hardaway Jr. has a solid case.