The NBA is full of surprises each and every season. Trying to predict who will have a breakout year, who will thrive in a new role, and which star will shine the brightest is nearly impossible. But in the 2015-16 NBA Awards Prediction Series at Last Word On Sports, we will try to do exactly that. A panel of five LWOS basketball writers will be predicting the winner for each of the five main awards – Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player – in preparation for the 2015-16 NBA season.
For a complete listing of the 2015-16 NBA Awards Prediction Series, click here.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year award.
2015-16 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Predictions
Robert Holmes, basketball staff writer: Isaiah Thomas. This award typically goes to an NBA guard that has the ability to score from the bench. There are not enough basketballs in Los Angeles for Lou Williams to get a fair chance at defending his title, so unless Kobe gets injured again AND Nick Young gets traded, I am going with Isiah Thomas. Thomas averaged 19 points per game after being traded to the Boston Celtics last year. Playing in just 26 minutes per game, he averaged 13.5 shots in each contest and was the leading scorer on the team at the end of the season. The Celtics also have a fair chance at making the playoffs again this season so Thomas will get more acknowledgment for being on a team that actually wins games.
Lior Kozai, basketball staff writer: Nikola Mirotic. This pick could become irrelevant quickly, as it’s essentially also a bet on Joakim Noah reclaiming his starting role, since Mirotic has been the starting power forward for the Bulls in preseason. But as long as Mirotic comes off the bench more often than not, which I expect him to do, he’ll qualify for this award. Mirotic is the best “stretch four” the Bulls have, and he can provide a scoring spark off the bench. Furthermore, Pau Gasol is aging, while Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson may play limited minutes due to recurring injuries. With more opportunities this year, Mirotic should thrive in his bench role, build on what he did in March last season (averaging 20.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game despite only starting one game), and claim this award.
Jack Hammond, basketball staff writer: Andre Iguodala will win the Six Man of the Year after showing his ability to do everything in the NBA Finals last season. Golden State would not have won the championship without Iguodala and he plays an even bigger role this year. Iguodala is a shutdown defender who can create open shots for the shooters in blue and white as well as hit the open three himself. He has a very high basketball IQ and is the perfect player to fit into the Warriors system.
Peter Rosston, basketball staff writer: Nikola Mirotic burst onto the scene late last season, averaging 20.8 PPG and 7.6 RPG in April. Once the Bulls got into the playoffs, Tom Thibodeau decided to not play the emerging rookie, cutting his minutes from 30 MPG in April to 13 MPG in the playoffs. As Pau Gasol continues to age and Joakim Noah has no real backup, Fred Hoiberg will be forced to give Mirotic more opportunities to thrive alongside Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. After Andre Iguodala’s fantastic NBA playoffs, especially the finals, he comes in to this season as a strong candidate, especially considering the talent he will be surrounded by, but at the end of the season, I think Mirotic will have some gaudy stats.
Jack Moon Perrin, basketball department head: Nikola Mirotic. The biggest reason why Mirotic would not win the NBA Sixth Man Award will be he starts too much of the season for the Chicago Bulls. There is little doubt that the sentimental favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year last year will become a much more important offensive force for the Bulls this season. Mirotic is a 6’ 10” power forward and a true “stretch four.” Mitotic can also drive and get to the foul line. Ideally, the Bulls can bring Mitotic off the bench to spell Noah or Gasol and provide a legitimate scorer in the second unit. However, with Noah coming off an injury plagued season, Coach Fred Hoiberg may opt to rest Noah more and start Mirotic.
Matthew Cardenas: Isaiah Thomas- This is who the sixth man of the year should’ve been last season. After being traded to the Boston Celtics last season, Thomas really changed the landscape of the team. He helped the team reach the playoffs and provided great leadership. Although he is more than capable of starting, his ability to come in and immediately produce is really helpful to the Celtics. If the Celtics are able to make the postseason, Thomas will certainly win this award.
