NBA: 10 Players Better Off As Sixth Men

The NBA is full of all kinds of players: superstars, stars, role players, sixth men, fringe rotation players and guys who are lucky to even be on the roster. Most fans only care about the stars and superstars, but great teams aren’t made from the league’s biggest names alone.

Throughout NBA history, there have been plenty of players who wouldn’t be remembered by their statistics, charisma or name recognition alone. Instead, they’ve stood the test of time as role players who stepped up in big moments, accepting their lesser role and recognizing that basketball is a team game in order to give their teammates a greater chance at success.

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Going along that train of thought, there are plenty of players in the NBA today who could fill a secondary or tertiary role on their team’s starting lineup…but there are also plenty of guys who would be better suited coming off the bench in a sixth man role.

That sixth man designation varies from team to team; some players are better coming off the bench, and some teams are better with certain players coming off the bench. In honor of Kevin McHale, Vinnie Johnson, James Harden and all the other great sixth men in NBA history, it’s time to take a look at 10 current players who would be better off as the sixth man for their respective teams.

For the sake of variety and actually provoking some thought, we’re excluding the obvious, established sixth men like Jamal Crawford and Manu Ginobili. To make this list, a player has to have been seriously considered for a starting role, either now or in the last one or two seasons. Let’s get to it.

Honorable Mentions: Thabo Sefolosha, O.J. Mayo, Brandan Wright

Next: No. 10