Philadelphia 76ers: Best candidates for 2018-19 NBA awards
By Derek Hryn
Sixth Man of the Year: Wilson Chandler
In hindsight, Wilson Chandler may have been the 76ers’ best acquisition of the 2018-19 offseason.
The 31-year-old wing is coming off his 11th season in the NBA, and continues to be one of the league’s most underrated talents at defending and shot creation.
He hasn’t reached the postseason since the 2012-13 season, so he should be eager to get to work with his new team.
After struggling at times last year with lack of depth and reliability at the small forward position, the Sixers now have a player who is experienced and skilled on both sides of the ball.
Chandler averaged 10.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last year with the Denver Nuggets, and played an impactful role off the bench at times. He also freed up a lot of opportunities for the young Nuggets stars like Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris.
If he can fall into that same beneficial role in Philly, he may have a really good chance at the Sixth Man of the Year award.