Def Pen continues to give you a glance into the future with our 2016-17 NBA Preview. We predicted the standings for the 2016-17 season and also gave you some good advice on the Rookie of the Year award. Now it’s time to pick an award that often is heavily debated but the result is usually what we always expect.
When it comes to the top contenders for this award, it’s kind of the same top three in contention from last year’s selection. Guys like Will Barton, Zach Randolph or Allen Crabbe could end up being in the conversation for this award, but their roles aren’t exactly defined with their squads.
Z-Bo is going to be the Memphis Grizzlies sixth man but how will he adapt to his new role? He thinks he will be ‘like an iguana’, but can he actually consistently hit a deep shot and be a threat off the bench? Will Barton is expected to be the scoring punch coming off the Denver Nuggets bench but will he start the season as the shooting guard as Gary Harris misses time? Plus, his shots will definitely take a hit with Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari returning to full health and how much will rookie Jamal Murray cut into his minutes and touches? Allen Crabbe’s effectiveness coming off the bench could heavily depend on how much he plays alongside either Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and new acquisition Evan Turner. He’s going to take a hit in the pecking order in Portland.
Some new options for the Sixth Man of the Year are interesting but you can’t go against old reliable. It should be no surprise that three-time winner and defending Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford is among the top contenders. Andre Iguodala is a key to the Warriors success coming off the bench, stabilizing the second unit and also as the super-switchy defensive stalwart in the Dubs ‘lineup of death’. Enes Kanter might be the Thunder’s best option at power forward with Serge Ibaka departing but his role as a sixth man is too good to change.
2016-17 NBA Preview
Sixth Man of the Year
Winner: Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
2. Jamal Crawford
T-3. Enes Kanter
T-3. Brandon Jennings, New York Knicks
4. Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns
5. Joe Johnson, Utah Jazz
The best bench player on the best team in the NBA? That’s where a majority of the Def Pen Sports team members votes went. It’s kind of a simple, no-brainer choice especially considering his importance to the Dubs bench. There’re few doubts that the Warriors will dominate in every aspect of the game on offense and their defense should be top notch. No matter the combination of stars you put next to Iggy, he adapts to their game and does whatever is necessary given the lineup on the court. Iguodala might view this season’s bench being better than last year’s but some big names left the team and he’s without a doubt the best reserve scoring option for the Dubs. The one big issue that could derail Iggy’s chances as the winner of this award could be his back injury we all saw flare up during the NBA Finals. He’s healthy going into the season but he will be 33 by the NBA All-Star break. With advanced age comes the aches, pains and a decrease of productivity. How much longer can Iggy get jiggy?
One man who seemingly has not aged since the 90’s is Jamal Crawford. J Crossover won the Sixth Man of the Year award last year seemingly because there were no real standout options. Yes, Jamal had a fine season but he wasn’t outright the best sixth man last season. His questions are very similar to Andre Iguodala. Will father time catch up to him? The Clippers are preparing for the worst when it comes to Crawford, despite giving him some big money this summer and his insistance on playing at least five more years. Jamal has not shown any signs of slowing down but it always catches up to everyone. With the emergence of Austin Rivers during the postseason coupled with the acquisition of Raymond Felton, the ball might be in Jamal Crawford’s hands a lot less as the defacto backup point guard. It’s a good thing for the Clippers but could it impact Jamal’s productivity.
Looking at the Oklahoma City’s Thunder roster on paper, Enes Kanter should be the starting power forward and second leading scorer behind Russell Westbrook because, who else is going to score? There’s no doubting Enes’ ability to put the ball in the hoop but his best position, as we all found out last season, is having him come off the bench. His effectiveness is not going up against the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin and the other skilled power forwards in the NBA. His best role is abusing the bench units of just about every NBA team and that should garner him some heavy votes to win this award. With Kevin Durant leaving town and shots being up for grabs, Kanter could benefit from a ton of Russell Westbrook assists.
