NBA Awards: Fifth Man of the Year

The True Fifth Men

Toronto Raptors – Amir Johnson
Atlanta Hawks – DeMarre Carroll
Golden State Warriors – Harrison Barnes
Chicago Bulls – Mike Dunleavy
Cleveland Cavaliers – Timofey Mozgov
Memphis Grizzlies – Courtney Lee
New Orleans Pelicans – Omer Asik
Denver Nuggets – Jusuf Nurkic
Sacramento Kings – Jason Thompson
Portand Trail Blazers – Robin Lopez

When you are forced to suit up a fifth man, these are the players you want on your squad. They fulfill their roles dutifully as the worst players in their starting lineups, pitching in with their limited capabilities and niche skills to elevate the team beyond their station. It is no mistake that the teams these players play for are some of the best in the NBA.

Let’s begin with the centers, who all make up a large portion of these slots.

The dopey-faced Omer Asik gets the benefit of playing alongside Anthony Davis, but provides the Pelicans with a tough interior defender and solid rebounder that helps the team control possessions. Similarly, Timofey Mozgov is a surprisingly nimble rebounder and physical presence on screens that facilitates the offensive production of the Cavaliers stars. Plus, he’s already a local TV star.

Robin Lopez is a legendary hype man on a playoff team in Portland who otherwise is a fairly average player (save for his Sideshow Bob appearance). Jusuf “Dancing Bear” Nurkic has flown under the radar as a Rookie of the year candidate on one of the least relevant teams in the NBA in Denver with the Nuggets, but shows a willingness to embarrass the opposition.

As for the rest of this list, many of these are veterans producing some of their best basketball within the role of fifth man.

Jason Thompson is somehow the longest tenured King in their history in Sacramento, and may be experiencing Stockholm Syndrome. Similarly, Amir Johnson has been a long term Toronto Raptor, and he provides smart, energetic play at power forward. Like any good fifth man, he is a willing cog within the team concept.

Take that shot, DeRozan! That “red rover” screen can only be a non-call for so long.

A staple of the stout defensive squad at the third man is the 3 and/or D-Wing. Mike Dunleavy fits that bill perfectly for the Bulls, giving them a catch-and shoot option to counter Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler’s penetration and Pau Gasol’s post play. Like any true fifth man, he is willing to sacrifice his body for the good of the team.

Courtney Lee is in a similar spot for the Grizzlies; while he has been written off as a former poor contract who struggled to find a role on a contender, he gives the Griz the desperate floor spacng they need while maintaining defensive intensity. He has slowed down lately, but he perfectly rounds out the Grizz’s staring five.

Of course, some players are fifth men by the quality nature of their teams. That is the case with the fifth men of the league’s two best teams in Atlanta and the San Francisco Bay: DeMarre Carroll and Harrison Barnes. Carroll is the only member of the Hawks’ starting five to not be named an All-Star, he’s a valuable cog in the Hawks’ machine within the role of the handyman with his versatility that suits Atlanta’s offense well.

Finally, Harrison Barnes makes the Golden State Warriors’ starting five one of the most solid in the NBA. He is the only starter who is not his own shot creator or a facilitator, but within the more dynamic offensive scheme under Steve Kerr, he has emerged as a consistent offensive weapon utilized through misdirection. Basically, the Warriors hope the defense is so keyed in on their other perimeter players that they forget about Barnes.

The Choices No One Should Have to Make

Washington Wizards – Nene
Dallas Mavericks – Chandler Parsons

Golly, if there was a way for me to not choose either of these players, I would do so in a heartbeat. Every year, there are at least two choices that could be categorized as the least wrong decision to pick as the fifth man. I hate myself for these choices, but they have to be done.

Washington’s starting lineup is perhaps the most solid and well rounded in the NBA. This is the starting five for Washington that is being considered:

PG: John Wall
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Marcin Gortat
C: Nene

Now, obviously its not Wall, an we can also safely throw out Beal from that conversation too (even though he is experiencing a down year after emerging as a top 10 shooting guard).

This leaves us with three choices. The leadership and playoff experience that Paul Pierce provides for the Wizards is invaluable, plus I think that me from 2007 would find a way to murder me from 2015 if he found out that I picked Paul Pierce as the fifth man of any team.

The question is: who can the Wizards rely on more throughout the season? Normally, the threat of injury doesn’t play a huge role in determining the status of a fifth man, but in this case with the decision so close, Gortat appears to be the player the Wizards would be more comfortable relying on throughout the season. Both players’ skill sets and contributions are of fairly equal value (Gortat with is smart, old school post play; Nene with his varied offense and glass eating rebounding), so I won’t be surprised if I regret choosing Nene as the Wizards’ fifth man.

Dallas also has a tight starting five without a clear-cut fifth man. Here is Dallas primary lineup under consideration.

PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler

The only one who is untouchable here is Dirk, and that is strictly a legacy choice. Monta Ellis is too often the team’s primary offensive option to be considered the Mavs’ fifth man, so he is out of consideration as well.

The choice then comes down to Rondo and the two Chandlers (Tyson and Parsons). Based on statistical production, Tyson Chandler is the obvious choice for fifth man, but his defensive contributions in keeping the hapless Mavs from falling apart on that end of the floor might be the most important element that brought the Mavs into the playoffs and away from playing the Warriors in the first round. Rajon Rondo, in his limited time back into the starting lineup for the Mavs, has provided great perimeter defense while giving the Mavs a strong offensive energy.

The best thing that can be said about Chandler Parsons in the Mavs offensive scheme is that he is often times their best secondary option. Without Parsons, the Mavs would definitely be worse, but still marginally better than if they were without any of the other starting five players. It pains me, but Chandler Parsons is the Mavericks’ fifth man.

Next: Secondary Awards