NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year award

Depth charts aren’t set in stone yet, but among the NBA’s high-scoring bench players, here are the 10 most likely to contend for the 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year award.

More than any other individual award, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award carries a certain stigma with it. The Defensive Player of the Year used to only be awarded to shot-blocking big men, but it’s diversified a bit with the dawn of small-ball and positional versatility.

Sixth Man of the Year, however, remains pretty much the same as it’s been since the turn of the century, and throughout its history: An award that rewards high-volume shooting off the bench from a guard who could probably start on a few other teams.

While team success is somewhat of a factor, the frontrunners for this award usually boil down to a couple of high-scoring guards who light it up off the bench, even if they’re not always the most efficient. From Lou Williams to Jamal Crawford to J.R. Smith, this is an award for second unit gunners occupying a spot in the backcourt.

Heading into 2018-19, that’s unlikely to change, but voters are starting to get a little bit smarter about how they cast their ballots. Two-way play is as important as ever, and with the lines starting to blur between positions, forwards and even big men have a fighting chance to win 6MOY.

Bearing all that in mind, which players who are likely to come off the bench in more games than they start have a legitimate shot at winning the 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year award? In a loaded group, here are the top 10 candidates for the upcoming season.

Honorable Mentions: Fred VanVleet, Domantas Sabonis, Bobby Portis, Austin Rivers, Jae Crowder, Kelly Oubre Jr., Seth Curry, Andre Iguodala, Markelle Fultz, Terrence Ross, Jordan Clarkson, Caris LeVert, Ersan Ilyasova, Rudy Gay, Jakob Poeltl