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NBA: Top 10 Candidates For Sixth Man Of The Year Award In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 6, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) keeps a ball in bound against Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Thunder beat the Bucks 104-96. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) keeps a ball in bound against Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Thunder beat the Bucks 104-96. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the first quarter in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Andre Iguodala

If you’re looking for the guy who should’ve won the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2015-16, look no further than this guy. Though his 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game paled in comparison to the scoring numbers that Crawford and some of the other candidates put up, there’s no question that Andre Iguodala was the most impactful bench player in the NBA last year.

It’s not just because he was on the 73-win Golden State Warriors either. Iggy wasn’t just along for the ride; he was a driving force behind the Dubs’ insane depth and their unstoppable “Lineup of Death” that ran rampant through the league. He may not have cared about the award, but he got robbed all the same.

With Iguodala entering the game as a secondary playmaker, Harrison Barnes moving to the 4 and Draymond Green manning the 5, the Warriors became a revolutionary blend of length, high basketball IQ, playmaking and three-point shooting to dominate their opponents. That lineup finished the regular season with a total plus/minus of +166 in 172 minutes together.

At age 32, perhaps Iguodala’s opportunity for winning this award has already passed him by. But that’s only because this award — more than any other — is too often about pure scoring output. In terms of impact though, there may not be a more important bench player again in 2016-17 than Iggy.