Last season, Tyler Herro became the second youngest player to ever win the Sixth Man of the Year award. This followed an incredible season in which he led the Miami Heat in scoring (20.7).
This was the first time an Eastern Conference player won the Sixth Man of the Year award since 2015. This is also the third straight season in which a new player has won the award.
This trend has a great chance to continue with all the great bench players in the NBA today.
Here we will look at five players who could potentially win the Sixth Man award in 2023.
Five NBA Sixth Men to Watch in 2023
Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors
Jordan Poole is almost guaranteed to be a top three candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award. With Klay Thompson now back for a full season, he will give Herro a run for his money in bench scoring.
In 76 games, Poole averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. The only thing that stopped him from contending for the award last season was that he started too many games to qualify.
Poole was instrumental in the Warriors’ championship run giving them a huge scoring boost off the bench. In 17 games coming off the bench in the playoffs, the Warriors sixth man scored in double figures 15 times.
Poole will undoubtedly be a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award this upcoming season. However, if he remains consistent, he could become the NBA’s next great sixth man.
Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics made a big offseason splash trading for former Rookie of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon. This will be his first time assuming a sixth-man role since his rookie season.
Brogdon has been a reliable point guard in his time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers respectively. In his career, the 29-year-old guard has tallied 15.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds.
Brogdon has the potential to be the piece the Celtics need in their championship puzzle.
Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks
There is a chance Spencer Dinwiddie could be a starter for Dallas. Although, with Tim Hardaway Jr. back in the lineup, there is a chance he remains in the sixth-man role.
Dinwiddie played a huge role in the Mavericks’ playoff run last season off the bench. In 23 regular season games in Dallas, he averaged 15.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds.
During the playoffs, Dinwiddie posted 14.2 points and 3.6 assists in 18 games.
Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies
Brandon Clarke was an unsung hero for the rising Memphis Grizzlies this past year. The big man saved his best work for the playoffs playing a huge role in many of his team’s victories.
In 12 playoff games, Clarke averaged 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds with his best work coming in the first round. In six games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he put up 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds.
Clarke will surely be a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year if he replicates these numbers next season.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have been very aggressive this offseason making big moves and signing young rising talent. One of their most notable moves came when they acquired Malik Monk from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Monk will likely fill the backup shooting guard position as the Kings also traded for Atlanta Hawks guard Kevin Huerter. Monk was a bright spot for the Lakers last season providing instant scoring on a nightly basis.
In 76 games, he averaged career-highs in scoring (13.8), rebounds (3.4), and assists (2.9). Numbers like these could easily put Monk in line for Sixth Man of the Year.
