NBA Awards Watch: The wizardry of Mike Budenholzer

6th Man of the Year

1. Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns – Pundits are often divided on Thomas and his unique playing style, but you can’t argue with his level of production. The diminutive guard is shooting 49.2% from the field and 45.8% from three through the first seven games of January, and that has lifted his overall efficiency, including a career-best 58% true shooting and 19.26 PER. Thomas is playing less than 25 minutes per game in Phoenix, which is less than a traditional 6th man winner would see, but the Suns have a rare backlog at the position, and he should not be punished for that.
2. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers – Jamal has tailed off a bit, as evidenced by his drop from the top spot, but Crawford is still having a very solid season for the Clippers. The veteran combo guard is averaging 15.5 points per game with a 17.71 PER, and without him on the court, Los Angeles often struggles for secondary offensive creation aside from Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Efficiency is always a question mark for Crawford, but when he makes shots, there are few players who are more dangerous.
3. Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans – Anderson has been a perennial sixth man candidate, but the injury/illness bug took him off the floor last season. Now, he’s back. In fairness, his efficiency has taken a slight hit this season, but when a “hit” includes 35% three-point shooting from a 6-foot-10 power forward, things are okay. He has the raw numbers (15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds in only 29 minutes per game) to compete for top billing, and if the shooting numbers normalize, he’ll be right there.

Next: Defensive Player of the Year