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2016-17 NBA Awards Season: Top 10 Sixth Man Of The Year Candidates

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 17, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) points the the bench after making a three pointer in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Rockets won 111-109 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) points the the bench after making a three pointer in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Rockets won 111-109 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sixth Man of the Year
Jan 22, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magicduring the second half at Amway Center. Golden State Warriors defeated the Orlando Magic 118-98. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Andre Iguodala

On the stat sheet, Andre Iguodala doesn’t have the numbers to win his first Sixth Man of the Year award — a long overdue honor considering his willingness to come off the bench helped turn the Golden State Warriors into a powerhouse in the first place.

This season, Iggy averaged 7.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists in 26.3 minutes per game — numbers nearly identical to last season’s numbers, when he somehow finished second in the voting behind Jamal Crawford.

But in terms of on-court impact, Iguodala’s playmaking, defense and all-around basketball I.Q. extend far beyond the stat sheet. He shot a career-high 52.8 percent from the field this year, and though it came on only 5.5 field goal attempts per game, Iggy also made 36.2 percent of his threes.

When Kevin Durant was out, Iguodala was sensational for the Dubs, who managed to win 14 games straight without their best player. His 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on outrageous .606/.387/.741 shooting splits during that stretch were a big part of the reason that win streak happened.

If the lazier voters just look at the raw numbers, Iguodala may not even finish in the top three of voting. In terms of actual on-court impact though, Iggy probably deserves Sixth Man of the Year since he’s been the league’s best sixth man for awhile now.

Unfortunately, this isn’t about the best sixth man; it’s about who had the best season among sixth men, and in that category, Iguodala falls just short to our No. 1 candidate.