Hoops Habit
Fansided

The 25 Greatest Sixth Men Of All Time

By Carter Johnson

Oct 28, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) reacts after a shot against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-100. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) reacts after a shot against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-100. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 26
Next

16. Vinnie Johnson, Detroit Pistons

11.4 PPG, 3.0 APG, 45.3 FG% in 8 seasons as 6th Man

Accolades: 2X NBA Champion (1989-90) 

As evidenced by the video above, there may not have been a more appropriate nickname in NBA history than Vinnie Johnson’s “The Microwave” alias.

Being given the name by opponents, it truly captured Johnson’s ability to get hot fast and score points in bunches. This trait was especially beneficial to the Pistons in the playoffs, where Johnson was known to go on unstoppable scoring runs in crunch time to give the team the boost it needed to win the game.

In addition, The Microwave was not one to shy away from taking the big shot if need-be — as evidenced by a championship-clinching 14-footer in Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers with 0.7 seconds left.

Johnson was a true tweener guard as his size and skill set allowed him to play either backcourt position, making him a valuable backup to either point guard Isiah Thomas or 2-guard Joe Dumars. As a result, the team did not lack in scoring or facilitating when either one of their dynamic backcourt duo was out of the game, giving them an extra edge over opponents.

Despite being arguably the most underrated member of those Bad Boy Pistons teams, die-hard Detroit basketball fans love Johnson for his clutch heroics and the hard-working attitude he displayed that defines their city.

Next: L.O.