An Unlikely Sixth Man Of The Year

While it’s not the most sought-after or attractive award, the race for Sixth Man of the Year always contains talent, and it’s a tough call every year.

Besides the “legendary” sixth men of this league, Manu Ginobili and Jamal Crawford, a few challengers have emerged. The Golden State Warriors have captured an elite record with center Marreese Speights. The Toronto Raptors‘ Lou Williams has gained acclaim through his bench production, as well as being the basis of a Drake song.

An unlikely candidate has been making a name for himself coming off the bench: Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics. The 5’9″ point guard was acquired by the Celtics at the deadline, but also put up great numbers in Jeff Hornacek‘s point guard disaster for the Phoenix Suns.

In Boston, rookie Marcus Smart has been given the starting role since the Rondo trade, so Isaiah Thomas came in for the sixth-man role, as he had in Phoenix. But, Thomas has often outdone Marcus Smart in almost every category. Thomas has averaged more points than Smart (18.9 to 7.7), more assists (5.3 to 3.2), and posted a better field-goal percentage (39.1% to 35.9%).

Thomas fares great against other candidates as well, posting more points-per-game than Jamal Crawford (18.9 to 16.4), and Manu Ginobili (18.9 to 11).

Isaiah Thomas has made his teammates better, such as Avery Bradley. Before the addition of Isaiah Thomas, Bradley averaged only 13.4 points-per-game. After the All-Star Break and the arrival of Thomas, Bradley has been averaging 15.7 points-per-game. Brandon Bass has improved as well, averaging a measly 9.5 points-per-game before the trade for Thomas, and improved to 12.9 points-per-game after Thomas was acquired. While many candidates only give help from the bench in scoring, Isaiah Thomas brings playmaking and incredible ball movement that helps his team get better.

Isaiah Thomas has missed a few games lately due to a recurring back injury, which may hurt his case. Out of the candidates for the award, the Celtics have the worst record. They are amongst the likes of the Warriors, Spurs, Clippers, and Raptors. Beyond these conditions though, Isaiah Thomas is a unique and different candidate who is deserving of this honor. As the season is set to close, this race will come down to Commissioner Silver’€™s announcement.