Sleeper candidates for each of the NBA Awards in 2022-23

NBA Awards Sleeper: Lakers guard Russell Westbrook for Sixth Man of the Year

Murmurs grew into chatters, which grew into a serious conversation about sending Russell Westbrook to the bench. At first, it seemed like a recipe for implosion. A former superstar being relegated to a backup role at 33? We’ve seen it before, and most players do not take that decision lightly. But from the ashes rose a glorious phoenix, scorching the land below it as it spreads its winds and reignites the sky. At least that’s what I see when Russell Westbrook enters the game.

It was justifiable to suggest that Westbrook was cooked at this stage of his career, but fit matters. For the first time in his career, Westbrook isn’t close to the conversation for the best playmaker on his team, and deference isn’t always in his nature. Like the Seattle Seahawks had to learn the hard way, sometimes you have to simply let Russ cook.

That’s what bringing Westbrook off the bench does. He’s an offensive engine through which everything either rises or falls. So when he operates that way coming off the pine, Westbrook can go scorched Earth and pummel his way to the rim, kick out to shooters, pull up from deep, or even cash jumpers in the mid-range. Plus, while getting that out of his system, it makes for a better combination when LeBron James does come back into the game to play alongside him.

Los Angeles still has a ton to figure out if they want to be a Playoff game, but they can’t blame it all on Westbrook anymore. In four games as a Sixth Man, Westbrook is averaging roughly 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 41.2% from deep. If this is the kind of bench production he offers over the course of this season, we can shift focus to the other NBA Awards because this one will be all locked up.