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The NBA season resumed last week after the All-Star break. The campaign now enters a crucial phase as the race to the playoffs heats up from here on. The first half of the tournament saw how important a sixth-man rotation was to every team's campaign so far.
With the league's health and safety protocols and tight schedules still in place, the bench players will have an extended role in the second half as well.
NBA Power Rankings: Top 5 candidates for the Sixth Man of the Year award
While four of the players that were mentioned in our last edition of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings have managed to keep their place, the initial favorite for the award, Lou Williams, who was fifth last time, has fallen out of the top five this time around.
Eric Gordon was second last time out, but a recent long-term injury has now seen him drop to fourth this time. While he might drop further in the future rankings, he still has managed to stay in the top five this week due to his remarkable performances for the struggling Houston Rockets.
So without any further ado, let's take a look at the second edition of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year power rankings for March.
#5 Goran Dragic
2020-21 NBA Season Record - MPG: 27.1 PPG: 14.6 AST: 4.9 REB: 3.3 FG%: 44.8
The Miami Heat have been in top form recently and have won nine of their last ten games in the process. During this stretch, Goran Dragic has been phenomenal for them.
After being way below on last week's edition due to an injury problem keeping him out of action, Dragic has come back strong to make it into the top five in this week's NBA Sixth Man of the Year power rankings.
Dragic averaged 14.3 points during the Heat's nine-game winning stretch. He also equaled his season-high performance with a 26-point game against the formidable Utah Jazz in one of those games.
#4 Eric Gordon
2020-21 NBA Season Record - MPG: 29.2 PPG: 17.8 AST: 2.6 REB: 2.1 FG%: 43.3
Eric Gordon has been one of the most consistent performers for the Houston Rockets this season. He was ruled out for 3-4 weeks as per reports after sustaining a groin injury in the opening match of the second half of the NBA season against the Sacramento Kings.
Gordon has scored in double digits 23 times this season and has continued to perform despite the Houston Rockets' massive struggles. He is currently leading the team in points per game and was seen waging lone wars in each of the defeats he has been a part of during that stretch.
However, with other contenders stepping up post the All-Star break and Gordon enduring the injury during the same time, it led to him slipping on this week's ranking.
#3 Terrence Ross
2020-21 NBA Season Record - MPG: 29.6 PPG: 16.0 AST: 2.3 REB: 3.5 FG%: 41.4
Terrence Ross's averages have only seen an upward rise from the last edition, thus putting him in third position in this week's power rankings. He was averaging 15.1 points at the time, and despite Orlando's poor form, has produced top performances for them on a nightly basis.
In his latest match against the Heat, Terrence Ross produced a season-high performance with a 31 point-game, shooting eight three-pointers in the process, which added to his average of 25.7 points per game in March.
If he continues with that kind of form, he could move up a place or two in our next edition of the NBA's 6th Man of the Year power rankings.
#2 Chris Boucher
2020-21 NBA Season Record - MPG: 24.1 PPG: 14.2 AST: 1.0 REB: 6.5 FG%: 53.8
Chris Boucher saw a dip in his form just before the first edition of the March power rankings for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award but has managed to make a strong comeback to be ranked second in this edition.
With the Toronto Raptors dealing with several absentees due to health and safety protocols, Boucher has seen his role extend during that stretch.
In his last five appearances (since the start of March), he has averaged 22.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while shooting at 58.6% from the field and converting a respectable 36% of the three-point attempts he has made.
He has been given more minutes than usual due to his side being shorthanded and has made the most out of the 29.6 minutes per game time he has received.
He even managed a season-high 30-point game during that stretch. One can expect him to be just as relevant, even after most of these key players return due to these stellar performances.
#1 Jordan Clarkson
2020-21 NBA Season Record - MPG: 26.1 PPG: 17.9 AST: 2.2 REB: 4.0 FG%: 44.6
Jordan Clarkson is the only player in this week's rankings to maintain his position. The Utah Jazz have had a huge dip in form in recent weeks, but Clarkson has still managed to do his job with great efficiency.
He has scored in double digits for 37 of the 38 games he has played this season, and had 9 points in the one-off game he failed to do so. Clarkson is currently on a 33-game streak for the same.
The Utah Jazz guard is currently the runaway leader to land the NBA's 6th Man of the Year award and seems untouchable at the moment despite cooling off a tad bit since the start of March. He is averaging 16.5 points during that stretch.
