Sixth Man of the Year: Dennis Schroder
This one is too easy. With the arrival of Dennis Schroder in Oklahoma City the favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award is pretty clear. Schroder would probably start on over half the teams in the league, and the fact that he will be coming off the bench is a testament to Russell Westbrook’s greatness rather than a knock on Schroder.
Last season with the Atlanta Hawks, the German point guard averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31.0 minutes per game. He shot 43.6 percent from the field despite an abysmal 29.0 percent from deep, which was well below his career average (32.0 percent). He also shot 84.9 percent from the free throw line.
Schroder is a very crafty player and a talented athlete who is still getting better. He should fit in well with Oklahoma City, and the only question mark around this season will be whether or not he can control his emotions and avoid acting out the way he has in past seasons.
The bottom line is that Schroder is a starter in a sixth man role, much the way Manu Ginobili was for so long with the Spurs, or Jamal Crawford with the Clippers. It’s not fair to call him a sixth man, really, but that’s what happens when your starting point guard is so good. There will be other good candidates, but barring any unforeseen injuries Schroder really should take home the prize.