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NBA Awards Watch: Karl-Anthony Towns leads two-man race for Rookie of the Year

By Brad Rowland

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives against the defense of Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives against the defense of Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) dunks the ball as Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) looks on in the first quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) dunks the ball as Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) looks on in the first quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Sixth Man of the Year

  1. Will Barton, SG Denver Nuggets – It is pretty unfair that Barton even qualifies for this award, given that he is playing nearly 29 minutes per game as arguably Denver’s best player. He has come out of nowhere to produce 15.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the suddenly interesting Nuggets, and his PER (18.1) is very impressive for a high volume guard. At some point, you’re picking nits with the available candidates, but Barton has the best profile in my view as the calendar flips to February.
  2. Andre Iguodala, SF Golden State Warriors – Iguodala is the best reserve for the best team in the NBA, and he is playing more than 27 minutes per game while operating at an obscenely high level. The individual stats aren’t there (7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game), so he probably won’t win, but it is hard to pinpoint just how valuable he is to Golden State. Iguodala remains a strongly above-average defender who can create off the dribble and find teammates, and the Warriors are more than 16 points per 100 possessions better when he plays. Golden State throws a monkey wrench in everything, and this year, that includes award races.
  3. Enes Kanter, C Oklahoma City Thunder – It is a pleasure to poke fun at Kanter for his sometimes horrid defense, but the numbers he is putting up in Oklahoma City are impressive. Kanter leads all qualified bench players in PER (23.0) and win shares, and on a per-36 minute basis, he averages 20.5 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. He is highly efficient (60.2% TS) and productive offensively, and for all of the warts on the other end, Kanter is in a nice roll for his skill set as a strong bench option.

Next: Defensive Player of the Year

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