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Los Angeles Lakers: Midseason team awards

By Orestis Rantis

PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 06: LeBron James #23 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers speak during a time out in the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 06, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Lakers won 136-113. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 06: LeBron James #23 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers speak during a time out in the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 06, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Lakers won 136-113. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

Sixth Man of the Year: The Bench Mob

It is extremely hard to pick one player that has single-handedly carried the Lakers bench.

Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso do most of the scoring. Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley have the defensive reigns of the team, while Rajon Rondo is the main facilitator.

Take Monday’s win against the Phoenix Suns, for example. Rondo, Howard and Pope combined for 50 points off the bench on 73 percent shooting from the field. The Bench Mob outscored Phoenix’s bench 62-36, resulting in a comfortable win.

For the first time in LeBron James‘ career, he doesn’t have to worry about taking a few minutes of rest to catch his breath. Countless occasions initially come to mind from moments in his career, where a James-led team would hold a comfortable lead, only to lose it once James checked out.

Most people would have expected Kyle Kuzma to emerge as a top candidate for the sixth man award, maybe even throughout the entire league. Even though that does not seem to be the case, Kuz has accepted his role as a scoring weapon off the bench. He is currently contributing 13 points per game, making him the third-leading scorer of the team.

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