January 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Marreese Speights (5) shoots the basketball against Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Sixth Man of the Year: Marreese Speights (Golden State Warriors)
Marreese Speights has been a truly impressive bench player for a Golden State Warrior team that sits atop the Western Conference. His stat line reads: 18 minutes, five rebounds, and 12 points (a career high) per game.
Blue Man Hoop
His scoring ability can be best highlighted by his per 36 minutes stats, where he’s averaging 24.3 points, tied for second on the team with Klay Thompson, just behind MVP candidate Steph Curry. His shooting percentages have also demonstrated his significant impact: 52 percent from the field and 81 percent from the charity stripe.
Then you have to take into account the fact that he wasn’t even supposed to be the top bench player for a squad that also features former All-Stars Andre Iguodala and David Lee coming in off of the pine, let alone the entire NBA.
Runner Up: Lou Williams (Toronto Raptors)
In the offseason, Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri made a relatively under the radar move that brought the man once pegged as Allen Iverson’s replacement in Philadelphia to the Atlantic Division’s sure-fire top dogs for next to nothing after an ACL injury in Atlanta. Nobody could’ve predicted that Williams would end up averaging a career-best 15.5 ppg on 41 percent shooting from the field. He’s been the ideal backup to the Eastern Conference All-Star team’s starting point guard, Kyle Lowry.
Next: Most Improved Player