The 25 Greatest Sixth Men Of All Time

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
13 of 26
Next

14. Detlef Schrempf, Indiana Pacers

16.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, .521/.329/.804 shooting split in 4 seasons as 6th Man

Accolades: 2X Sixth Man of the Year (1990-91, 1991-92) 

Contrary to popular belief, Dirk Nowitzki was not the first German hybrid forward to terrorize the league. That honor belongs to one Detlef Schrempf.

Like Dirk, Schrempf at 6’10″ and 235 pounds was a nightmare for opponents with his silky smooth outside stroke and ability to put the ball on the floor at that height. As the last player to win the Sixth Man award in consecutive years, Schrempf had quite the run from 1990-92.

In the 1990-91 season, Schrempf averaged 16.1 points per game with eight boards and 3.7 dimes a night on a .520/.375/.818 split. The next season, Schrempf followed up that spectacular year by going for a then-career high 17.3 points a night along with 9.6 boards a game on 53.6 percent shooting from the field, both of which are career-highs.

As great of a performer as he was in the regular season, Schrempf was even more spectacular in playoff time with an average of 19 points and 9.2 boards per game in three playoff appearances with the Pacers. This includes an incredible outing in 1992 where Schrempf averaged a double-double of 21 points and 13 boards in a three game series against the Celtics.

Schrempf would go on to be a solid contributor on a staunch Seattle SuperSonics team alongside Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp in the late 1990s, but his stint with the Pacers is where he made himself a name.

Next: Downtown Brown