The conversation around NBA contenders typically revolves around the stars. Which MVP candidate can climb the mountaintop this summer? How does a team go about stopping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokić in a playoff game? But in reality, it takes so much more than stars to win a championship. Depth is just as important.
The Sixth Man of the Year race is tight this season, but let's focus on the true contending class (for the purposes of this exercise, the top four teams in the East and the top six teams in the West). Who is most successfully leading their second unit on the NBA's best teams? That is the question we will strive to answer below:
10. Dennis Schröder, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland has so many options in this category, with injuries opening up a revolving door between the bench and the starting rotation for much of the season. Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Sam Merrill are all worthy shouts, but Dennis Schröder is the most classic "sixth man" archetype — a small, dynamic guard who can run the second unit offense and extend a lifeline when the offensive tempo slows.
Schröder's waning efficiency, particularly at the rim, has capped his value this season, but he's still a straight-line bullet who can cut through the middle of a defense and set up teammates off of dribble penetration. He's more of a traditional point guard than ever, and while Cleveland needs a little bit less of that after the James Harden trade, Schröder's wealth of experience and steady hand on the steering wheel at least gets him a mention here.
9. Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers
Luke Kennard is threatening to claim this mantle, and but it's essentially a pick-your-poison scenario between Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura for now. Let's give LaRavia the nod, if only because he provides this Lakers team with more of what it actually needs from the second unit: defensive activity, versatility, and a nuanced offensive approach.
Hachimura has become a dynamite mid-range scorer who can use his strength and athleticism to bully mismatches on the interior, but LaRavia is far more adept as a passer and connector, with enough of a shooting presence to thrive in the Luka Dončić ecosystem. He's the best wing defender on the Lakers roster and he should probably be starting over Marcus Smart, in all honesty.
8. Landry Shamet, New York Knicks
Mitchell Robinson has a case for most impactful bench piece in New York, but Landry Shamet plays more and is equally, if not more essential to their success both in the regular season and looking ahead to the playoffs. The Knicks have long needed someone other than Jalen Brunson to consistently compromise the defense. Shamet is not an on-ball generator, but his consistent motion and shooting gravity is a valuable lever for head coach Mike Brown to pull when the offense bogs down.
Shamet spent the first half of his rookie season learning at the altar of J.J. Redick in Philadelphia — lessons he has carried to every stop since, with varying levels of success. The Knicks are comfortable running Shamet through a maze of screens. He's hitting 41.2 percent of his 3s at high volume, often at high difficulty, and he's more than a shooter. Shamet can attack closeouts, run the occasional pick-and-roll, and protect the basketball as a secondary handler or connector. He has blown all expectations out of the water in New York.
7. Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver Nuggets
Bruce Brown Jr. made his return to Denver this past offseason and has assumed a significant role, albeit to muted effect. The real ringleader of this surprisingly deep and impactful Nuggets bench mob, however, is a resurgent Tim Hardaway Jr. The veteran swingman started in all 77 appearances for Detroit a year ago and is finding a genuine second wave in his mid-30s. It should come as no surprise that playing next to Cade Cunningham and Nikola Jokić in back-to-back years has served as a boon for Hardaway's career.
The book on THJ is the same as it's always been, but a career-low 5.1 percent turnover rate is a credit to his refined approach and newfound ability to operate within the confines of his role. Hardaway still fires without inhibition from 3-point range, feasting on spoon-fed open looks as defenses collapse ill-advisedly on Jokić and Jamal Murray. Hardaway is still limited as a defender and playmaker, but he's doing his specific job arguably as well as he has ever done it.
6. Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
Dylan Harper was the No. 2 pick in the draft and should emerge as an overqualified sixth man before long, but San Antonio's top reserve at the moment is Keldon Johnson. After years of extended leash with the starting lineup, Johnson has spent the last couple seasons in a featured role off the bench. The results have really perked up this season, with an effective field goal percentage of 60.5 percent — a new career best, excluding 17 games of limited exposure as a rookie.
Johnson is hitting more 3s above the break and leveraging his improved gravity to set up drives and create buckets as the second-unit spark plug. The rebounding edge is significant, and Johnson's overall defensive impact has improved. He was always stretched too thin as a starter with near-top billing. As the Spurs transition to proper title contention, Johnson is finding what should be a fruitful long-term home off the bench.
5. Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons
Detroit's success is often attributed to MVP dark horse Cade Cunningham, and rightfully so, but the Pistons are a true collective. It's hard to fathom a team with that roster contending in the East, but every indicator points to Detroit as not only a threat, but as the team to beat in an otherwise mercurial conference. The bench mob isn't exactly littered with glitzy names, but true to Detroit's Bad Boy roots, there is a certain edge to the second unit. It starts with Isaiah Stewart.
Beef Stew is an imperfect player who can't always check his emotions, but there's no denying the impact he has made this season. Stewart has ramped up his 3-point volume, which helps, but most importantly, is enjoying his best defensive campaign to date. He averages 1.7 blocks in 23.3 minutes, with the strength to impose his will down low and enough mobility to hang on the perimeter in two-big lineups. Stewart blending his trademark psycho energy with improved anticipation and execution as a defender has completely changed his outlook. Not long ago, he felt like the odd man out in Detroit. Now it's hard to imagine the Pistons without him.
4. Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
The Rockets are dead last in 3-point attempts this season, which could prove fatal in the playoffs. Houston still has the sixth-best offense and the fifth-best defense, so discounting them would be foolish, but so much of high-stakes success boils down to which team gets hot from deep. That is why Reed Sheppard is so essential to Houston's competitive outlook. Much has been made of the Rockets' point guard vacuum after the Fred VanVleet trade, but if anything, Rockets fans just want Ime Udoka to lean on Sheppard more often.
Sheppard's rookie season was a mild disappointment after many considered him the sleeper "best prospect" in a weak 2024 draft. Now, the 21-year-old is starting to pay off some of those expectations. Predictably, Sheppard is a lights-out shooter, both off the catch and pulling up in ball screen actions. He's also better than he gets credit for in the ancillary departments. Sheppard has real skill and feel as a facilitator. Despite his small frame, he's an active and anticipatory defender who turns the ball over and gets the Rockets moving out in transition. He can still get picked on in isolation, but Sheppard's skill set is exactly what Houston needs at a critical position.
3. Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
The new NBA salary cap rules mean we won't see many sixth men get five-year, $125 million contracts. Minnesota probably overspent a bit, but it's hard to overstate just how essential Naz Reid is to the Timberwolves. He's averaging career highs in rebounds (6.4), assists (2.4) and stocks (2.0), all while hitting 38.1 percent of his 3s on over six attempts per game. The Wolves use him is so many different lineup configurations and play types. He's one of the most malleable offensive centers in the NBA.
Reid continues to modernize his approach; over half his shot attempts this season are coming from long range. He can still get downhill with that bowling ball frame, but the Wolves love to use Reid out on the perimeter, whether he's picking and popping, running an inverted screen-and-roll, or just spotting up and taking what the defense gives him. Reid is quick enough to defend fours next to Rudy Gobert, but forceful enough to anchor the defense in the Frenchman's stead. He is often the second- or third-best player on a team that feels within reach of the Western Conference crown.
2. Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder
The are several candidates for the sixth man title in OKC, from newcomer Jared McCain, to familiar faces such as Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and of course, Alex Caruso. The title really belongs to Ajay Mitchell, though, and his impending return from injury should only elevate what is already the most dominant team (and second unit) in basketball. Mitchell was a second-round pick in 2024 out of Santa Barbara, largely unheralded and unsuspecting. It did not take him long to rise up the OKC pecking order, however. Odds are we are discussing Mitchell as a full-time starter and future All-Star if he's playing with more freedom on a bad team.
Mitchell perfectly embodies the Thunder's offensive philosophy. He's a bursty downhill guard who makes his living in the paint. At 6-foot-4, he coverts on 68 percent of attempts at the rim (30 percent of his shot diet) and 51 percent on short mid-range attempts (36 percent of his shot diet). The floater is deadly. Mitchell creates frequent advantages with his first step, able to play low to the floor and explode through gaps. He's also an active, free-range defender, he facilitates with a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Mitchell has meaningfully increased his 3-point volume in year two, with 78 percent of his attempts assisted. He can lead the offense or play as the connector and finisher. He's a special talent hiding in plain sight.
1. Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
The Celtics moved Payton Pritchard back to the bench after the trade deadline, despite an incredibly productive stretch in the starting lineup. It feels like the right move, as Pritchard's microwave scoring is optimized when Joe Mazzulla can pick and choose his spots (and his running mates) more carefully — especially given the impending return of Jayson Tatum. That change puts the reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner right back on top of the pile, even if he has spent too much time with the starters to win the hardware back-to-back.
Pritchard's patience over the years in Boston was commendable. He waited a long time for his breakthrough opportunity and seized it immediately. Pritchard is, quite simply, the nuttiest bench scorer in the NBA. His range and dynamism as a shooter, attempting over seven 3s per game, puts so much stress on a defense. He's also averaging 5.4 assists with a comical 4.1 assist-to-turnover rate. Pritchard is a weak link on defense — there's no way around it — but he's a genuine supernova on the other end, capable of swinging the outcome of a game with his own gravitational pull.