Sixth Man of the Year: Julius Randle
Given the success both Mirotic and AD had on the court last season, it would make sense the two would share the court together in the starting lineup, leaving Randle to come off the bench as the team’s sixth man.
Without a capable backup center, the opportunity is there for Randle to seize the reins of a position that clearly suits him best. And without any creators to run its second unit, he will likely see the ball in his hands plenty both on the perimeter and in the post.
Randle averaged a career-high in points last season in only 26.8 minutes per game, and that was while sharing the ball with the likes of Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.
Now he’ll have free rein as the leader off the bench, which should lead to an increase in production and could spearhead an argument for him as the league’s best sixth man in 2019.