{"id":1022635,"date":"2019-03-24T16:33:51","date_gmt":"2019-03-24T20:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1022635"},"modified":"2020-02-29T23:10:29","modified_gmt":"2020-03-01T04:10:29","slug":"sixth-man-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/sixth-man-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Players on the Short List to Win NBA Sixth Man of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today's NBA is full of unguardable superstars<\/a> that want all of the limelight and accolades. However, there are a few players who carve out niches in a supportive role for their teams. Being a player off the bench isn't a glamorous job, but when a spark is needed on the second unit, they are always the first option to go to. The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award looks like it will come down to the wire<\/a> between a few quality guards, and these are our five players on the shortlist to win the award in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors: 10.7 PPG, 4.7 APG<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Fred
Toronto's bench ace Fred VanVleet. | Mitchell Leff\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fred VanVleet was a tough defender in college at Wichita State, and his athleticism and quickness have translated well to the NBA in Toronto. He is averaging nearly 11 points per game to go along with almost five assists, and the offense doesn't miss a beat when he steps on the floor. He will need to spike up his numbers the rest of the way to get into strong consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, but there is no doubt he is the driving force behind the Raptors second unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: 13.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brown was one of the stars of the Celtics playoff run last year, averaging more than 18 points per game in the postseason. That excellent play hasn't translated over to this season, as Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are taking shot opportunities (Irving) and minutes (Hayward) from the third year man out of Cal. However, Brown still provides an excellent spark off the bench and can get points in a hurry if the second unit is struggling to score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Derrick Rose, Minnesota Timberwolves: 18.0 PPG, 4.3 APG<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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