The LA Clippers have a rich history of rostering players who win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. For a long time, the award was synonymous with Jamal Crawford. Eventually, Lou Williams took the mantle from him.
In 2023-24, another Clipper has a chance of winning the award. Norman Powell has been one of the best reserves in the NBA this year. Will he be the league's Sixth Man of the Year?
We wouldn't go that far. Powell has had a great season, but so have some of the league's other bench players. Here are three guys who threaten to steal the Sixth Man of the Year award from him.
3. Naz Reid
Typically, the Sixth Man of the Year award is reserved for scoring guards. At the same time, teams don't typically invest as much in big men as the Minnesota Timberwolves have. The Wolves - and Reid - may be an exception.
Reid's basic counting stats are strong enough. He's averaging 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in just 23.5 minutes per game. With that said, you need to look a bit deeper to see Reid's impact.
Lineups featuring him at the 4 alongside Rudy Gobert, Kyle Anderson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Anthony Edwards are +35. That lands in the 98th percentile in the NBA.
Reid's value is in his versatility. He's a combo big who can man the 4 or the 5 spot. That might be valuable enough to earn him the Sixth Man of the Year award.