Memphis Grizzlies: Tyreke Evans could be Sixth Man of the Year
By Tony East
Tyreke Evans has been sensational off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies. Could he win the Sixth Man of the Year award?
The Memphis Grizzlies signed Tyreke Evans to a one-year deal in the hopes that he could provide a spark on the wing. The Grizzlies needed any wing depth they could get, and Evans was a cheap candidate to contribute, so they took a chance on him. So far, he has substantially exceeded the expectations anyone could have had for him.
Evans has started in the last 14 Grizzlies games, but for the remainder of the season, Evans did not start once, meaning he has only started 14 out of 33 games. He could, and should, be considered a Sixth Man of the Year candidate as a result of this.
There isn’t really a perfect place to start with Evans since he has been so much better than expectations. First of all, he is averaging 19.0 points per game, good for his second-best scoring average. That also ranks 31st in the league, which is exceptional for a bench player.
He is doing that in a simple manner, he’s shooting better from the field that he ever has. His 41.2 percent shooting percentage from long range is his career high by over two percent, and he’s shooting over five attempts per game. Considering he has never taken more than 3.4 threes per game in a season before this one, his improvement from deep is particularly impressive.
Inside the arc, it is the same story. Evans is shooting 49.7 percent from two-point range, his second-best career mark. This can be attributed to 43.6 percent shooting on long 2s, a significant career-high according to Basketball-Reference. His 42.1 percent shooting from 3-10 feet is also his career high. He has had no trouble getting to his spots and knocking down shots from all over the court.
HIs athleticism and penchant for getting to his spot manifest itself in nearly every offensive possession. He shot-fakes here and takes one dribble into an open wing mid-range jumper, one of his favorite shots:
Scoring has been his only improvement.
His total rebound rate is 9.6 percent, meaning he grabs 9.6 percent of misses when he is on the court. That is his career-best rate and a really good figure for someone who doesn’t play in the post. His one offensive rebound and 4.9 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes are both at or above his career averages, showing how well he has been hitting the glass.
He’s also doing a great job keeping the ball in the Grizzlies hands. He has a 10.2 percent turnover rate, basically just 1/10 possessions. He is making a conscious effort to not lose the ball, and at considerably better rates than he ever has before. His career best before this year was 12.9 percent. He won’t let anyone take the ball from him, and it has been a big part of his improvement.
His defense hasn’t been good in general, but by his standards, it has been. His 109 defensive rating is the third-best of his career, and it is equal to his career average.
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So Evans is scoring extremely well, he’s rebounding great, he’s taking care of the ball, and he’s defending okay. Those are all the makings of a useful bench player, and Evans has a case for the Sixth Man of the Year award, assuming he comes off the bench for more games than he starts in this season. The Memphis Grizzlies don’t have a lot going well for them, so hopefully he can take home the award and give the team something to be proud of.