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The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year title is awarded to the best performer coming off the bench as a substitute for his team in the league. Last season saw Jordan Clarkson win the award, having put up a career-high performance of 18.4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
There have been some predictions as to who will likely win the title in the 2021-22 NBA season. Below are five early candidates who can win the Sixth Man Of The Year award in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#1 Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz)
Jordan Clarkson is the favorite to win the 2021-22 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. He won the award last season for coming off the bench 67 times in 68 appearances. Going into the record books as the first Utah Jazz player to win the award.
The Utah Jazz shooting guard is the only player to score 40 points coming off the bench in a game last season. He attained the 40 points mark twice last season, against the Philadelphia 76ers he scored 40 points on February 15, and 41 points on May 10 against the Golden State Warriors. He will most likely match his record in the coming season and probably surpass it as he flourishes in his reserve role.
#2 Kevin Huerter (Atlanta Hawks)
There are a number of players from the Atlanta Hawks who could stand a chance at the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. Two-time winner Lou Williams, Delon Wright and Danilo Gallinari all have the talent needed to win the title coming off the bench.
But no one has the potential to win the title more than Kevin Huerter does for the Hawks. He had an average of 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season, with a field goal of 43.2%. Due to his diverse skillset, Huerter has the most consistent impact on games coming from the bench.
The 2018-19 All-Rookie player has the ability to shoot 3-pointers with a career average of 37.6% from beyond the arc, finding the net twice in every 5.4 attempts made.
#3 Patty Mills (Brooklyn Nets)
The one-time NBA champion Patty Mills' 10-year run with the San Antonio Spurs came to an end in August as he agreed to a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets worth $12 million. He was the 55th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, but barely had enough playing time, so in 2012, he made his way to the Spurs as a free agent.
The Spurs point guard is also an eligible runner for the NBA's 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year award, having recorded 10.8 points per game coming from the bench last season. He also hit 2.4 3-pointers per game with an accuracy of 37.5% with a field goal of 41.2%. In the fourth quarter of a game against the Blazers in mid-January, Mills netted his 930th 3-pointer breaking the record set by former Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili as the most three scored by a player from the bench for a franchise.
He played a part in the Spurs 2013 championship finals and also in the 2014 NBA Championship win. He will also be key in the Nets' championship journey, playing alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden while being a backup option to Kyrie Irving.
#4 Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz)
Joe Ingles was the closest competition to Clarkson last season, securing 34 first-place votes from the 100 first-place votes cast by the global panel of reporters, while Clarkson got 65 votes to clinch the award. Making it the first time two Jazz players place in the top two positions for the award and the first time in NBA history that the top two finishers are from the same team.
Ingles had a career-high 12.1 points per game, also completing 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists while helping the Jazz finish in top spot in the NBA Western Conference. He had a field goal percentage of .489, netting 4.1 times in 8.4 attempts from the field and an outstanding 45.1% from beyond the arc.
#5 Coby White (Chicago Bulls)
Coby White is the first player out of the University of North Carolina since Michael Jordan to be drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bulls. He was the 7th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Coming off the bench, White made his debut in the NBA in a point-loss game against the Charlotte Hornets (126-125). He recorded 17 points on the board, 3 rebounds and 7 assists in that game and became the first player that was born in the 2000s to feature in an NBA game.
Last season, the 6-foot 5-inch Bulls' point guard averaged 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He also had a field goal of 41.6%, finding the hoop 5.4 times from the field in 13.1 attempts. He is expected to top his performance and make a bigger impact for the Bulls coming off the bench in the coming season.
