The NBA award races are always exciting to keep an eye on throughout the season, and the same is holding true in 2022-23. We now have what is essentially a two-person race for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, and the approach to the finish line should be an exciting one.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro earned the honor last season after averaging 20.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, but since he’s now a starter, he’s no longer in the running.
Who will earn the honor of being the NBA’s best bench player in 2022-23?
NBA Sixth Man of the Year Odds 2023
These NBA gameday odds are current as of Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET and courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
- Malcolm Brogdon (-170)
- Norman Powell (+300)
- Tyrese Maxey (+300)
- Russell Westbrook (+600)
- Christian Wood (+3000)
- Bennedict Mathurin (+5000)
- Bobby Portis (+5000)
- Jordan Poole (+5000)
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NBA Sixth Man of the Year Best Bet
Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics (-170)
Brogdon has been unbelievably efficient in his first year with the Celtics, averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in just 25.3 minutes per game. He’s also shooting a league-best 45.5% from three-point range and has posted an effective field goal percentage of 57.8% — a career-high mark.
More than anything, Brogdon can be relied upon for his consistency. The 30-year-old has scored at least 10 points in 37 of his 50 appearances this year, and he’s gone for 20 or more in 12.
There is some competition closing in on him, but for now, this is the best bet you can make for this award, making this my NBA bet of the day.
NBA Sixth Man of the Year Favorites
Norman Powell, Los Angeles Clippers (+300)
If Brogdon doesn’t win this award, it’s going to be Powell. The Clippers guard has had a phenomenal season off the bench, and he’s been especially hot lately, averaging 20.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over his last 20 games.
Powell is also known for his all-around efficiency — on top of sinking 41.7% of his looks from three-point range this season, he’s also hitting over 53% of his twos and shooting 80.5% at the free-throw line.
If he can continue scoring at this rate, he just might knock off Brogdon for that No. 1 spot.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (+300)
Maxey is an All-Star caliber player, and although he’s come off the bench in 22 of his 38 appearances this season, I don’t foresee that going on forever. The 76ers would be foolish to keep him out of the starting rotation for the final two months of the regular season.
Nonetheless, you can currently grab Maxey at (+300) to win Sixth Man of the Year. He certainly has the numbers to back it up — he’s scoring 19.8 points per game on the year (16 as a reserve) and shooting over 39% from three-point range.
I wouldn’t advise a bet here given that he’s more likely than not to return to the starting rotation, but if for some reason he continues the season in a reserve role, he could certainly sneak up and secure this honor.
NBA Sixth Man of the Year Contenders
Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers (+600)
Westbrook’s move to the Clippers complicates his chances of winning this award. It’s possible that he’ll come off the bench for a few games while he gets accustomed to his new surroundings, but the expectation is that he’ll serve as the team’s starting point guard in time.
With that said, Westbrook was the favorite to win this award before his trade to the Jazz, and it’s not hard to see why. In 49 games off the bench for the Lakers, he was averaging 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in under 29 minutes.
Even if he starts in every game from here on out, Westbrook will be eligible to win Sixth Man of the Year. It just doesn’t seem likely since he’ll close out the year as a starter on a new team.
Christian Wood, Dallas Mavericks (+3000)
Wood was bordering on reaching his starting quota, but ever since the trade deadline, he’s come off the bench for the Mavs. On the season, he’s averaging 16.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game as a reserve — very respectable numbers.
However, he’s a distant fifth on this list for a reason, and that’s because he lacks the same upside as others on this list. He’s a better rebounder than virtually any of them, but he simply doesn’t have that microwave scoring ability that’s almost become a necessity among Sixth Man candidates.
NBA Sixth Man of the Year Sleepers
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers (+5000)
Rookie of the Year seems like a tough get for Mathurin, thanks to the dominant play of Paolo Banchero, but perhaps the Sixth Man of the Year Award is in his future instead?
The 20-year-old has looked terrific off the bench for this Pacers squad, averaging 17.2 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in just 28.1 minutes per game. He’s absolutely fearless and immensely talented for his age.
With that said, Mathurin has a lot of ground to make up in this race and not much time to do so. Unless his role changes dramatically and he ends up seeing increased usage for the remainder of the season, it’s unlikely that his numbers will see the boost necessary to vault him to the top of this list.
