When you look at the top teams in the league, one key element they all share is depth.
A starting unit can only do so much, which is why teams with strong benches like the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have been so successful. They can rely on their depth to play a crucial role game in and game out.
While some teams may not have the overall depth like the Spurs and Cavs, there are several players that are making a difference off the bench for their respective teams.
Here’s a look at five players that are in the running for the Sixth Man of the Year award thus far into the season:
1. Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic -- A starter for the bulk of his young career, Oladipo became the Magic’s sixth man after head coach Scott Skiles decided to shake up the team’s starting lineup. The results have been great for both Oladipo and Orlando.
Embracing his sixth man role right from the start, Oladipo knows that his move to the bench will only help the Magic.
"I'm going to embrace it," Oladipo told the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins. "I'm going to get it poppin', like I always say. Whatever it takes to win, that's what I'm going to do."
Playing as the primary ball handler on the Magic’s second unit, Oladipo has been taking advantage, attacking the basket and knocking down mid-range pull-up jumpers. Since Oladipo has come off the bench, he has averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Playing 27.3 minutes a game, Oladipo has scored in double figures off the bench in every game except one.
In the 12 games Oladipo has been their sixth man, the Magic have gone 9-3. Perhaps more importantly for Orlando, they are tied for sixth in the East with the Hornets and look poised to make the postseason for the first time since 2012.
2. Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans -- Playing 32 minutes a game, Anderson is putting up starter level numbers off the bench for the Pelicans.
Providing a much-needed scoring option off the bench for the Pelicans, and pairing well with Anthony Davis, he plays the majority of the game. Which is one reason, he is happy to come off the bench.
“What this team needs from me is to be a spark off the bench,” Anderson told The Advocate. “Be a guy that can bring offense, bring spacing, open up the court for everyone else. My mentality is just to go in and be aggressive. That’s how I know I can help.”
Shooting 43.8 percent and 37.6 percent from three, Anderson is averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Anderson did start some games earlier in the season but is now primarily coming off the bench. He’s had some big scoring games as the Pelicans’ sixth man, scoring 30 points against the Spurs and 29 points against the Suns in November.
3. Will Barton, Denver Nuggets -- Living up to the contract extension he signed with the Nuggets in the offseason, Barton is playing the best basketball of his career.
Averaging 14.7 points, an eight-point increase from last season, Barton is the second highest scorer on the Nuggets. Playing 28.2 minutes, Barton is also averaging 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals, all career-highs. Barton is also shooting a career-high 45 percent and 37.8 percent from three and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Barton is doing it all for the Nuggets. He may even have had one of the best dunks of the season.
4. Jeremy Lin, Charlotte Hornets -- After an up and down year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lin’s career has been rejuvenated with the Hornets. Lin has been a perfect fit for Charlotte, playing exceptionally well off the bench.
Leading Charlotte’s second unit, Lin is roughly averaging the same numbers he did last season, 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists, but he has been playing a more consistent role for the Hornets which allows him to play with more confidence. Using his combo-guard skills, Lin attacks the basket, sets up teammates for threes and is the primary ball handler for the Hornets off the bench. Lin not only runs Charlotte’s second unit but since he plays wells with Kemba Walker, he also closes out games.
Although Lin has been in Charlotte’s starting lineup, he has primarily been the team’s sixth man, a role he’s been excelling at. It's also a role that Michael Jordan envisioned Lin would play when Charlotte signed the combo-guard in the offseason. The Hornets could make a return to the postseason after a one-year absence and a large reason why that could happen is because of their depth, which Lin is a big part of.
5. Enes Kanter, Oklahoma City Thunder -- Kanter may not truly be the Thunder’s sixth man, often coming in after Dion Waiters but he is playing a key bench role for Oklahoma City.
Nearly averaging a double-double in 20.3 minutes a game, Kanter leads all bench players in rebounding, averaging 8.1 boards to go along with 11.4 points. Kanter is shooting 55.8 percent, which is fifth overall in the NBA. A skilled scorer, Kanter does have his deficiencies on the defensive end but he is doing what the Thunder need him to do off the bench by scoring and dominating second unit centers.
Kanter signed a $70 million long-term deal with the Thunder in the offseason, making him a very expensive bench player that only plays 20 minutes a game. However, he is producing and the Thunder’s talented bench is much deeper with Kanter on it.
