Is it Going to be a Three-Peat for Lou Williams? The NBA 6th Man of the Year Odds Sure Think So
By: James Tillman
It is no secret that every team needs multiple superstars to win in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and added Dennis Rodman during their second trio of championships. The Los Angeles Lakers of the early 2000s featured a formidable duo of Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant. Most recently, the Golden State Warriors went to five straight NBA Finals series with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and eventually Kevin Durant (from 2016-17 through 2018-19).
However, the role of the guys that come off the bench cannot and should not be overlooked, either. So, as a tribute to the players who provide instant offense for their teams in a limited role, here’s a look at the players with the best odds to win the 6th Man of the Year award based on how they performed over the abbreviated week (Feb. 11 through Feb. 17).
6th Man of the year odds
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Third-Best NBA Sixth Man of the Year Odds: Dennis Schroder (+200 – No Change From Last Week)
Dennis Schroeder appeared in two games for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the past week. In a 114-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, he had somewhat of a quiet night, scoring 14 points while connecting on just five of his 13 attempts from the field. He followed that up with a solid outing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 13.
In that contest, he scored 22 points (on 7-for-16 shooting) to go along with three rebounds and three assists. On the season, Schroeder is averaging 19.4 points per contest and a career-best 3.8 rebounds. He is also shooting a career-high 47.2 from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. Following an offseason in which the team appeared to be heading towards a rebuild, the Thunder are sixth in the conference playoff race, and Schroeder has played a key role in their success during the first half of the season.
Second-Best NBA 6th Man of the Year Odds: Montrezl Harrell (+175 – No Change)
Montrezl Harrell suited in two games for the LA Clippers, but I won’t reveal the outcome of those contests until a bit later due to the person who currently sits atop the leaderboard in this race. In a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Harrell chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds. In the next outing against the Boston Celtics, he bounced back in a big way, as he scored 24 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and recorded three assists and three blocked shots.
Following two unimpressive seasons with the Houston Rockets, Harrell has been a key contributor for the LA Clippers over the past two seasons, and he is currently fourth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.
Best NBA Sixth Man of the Year Odds: Lou Williams (+150 – No Change)
Among the various odds categories that we’ve been tracking since the start of the NBA season, this is one of the rare times where teammates make up two of the three candidates on the list. Like his teammate, Lou Williams suited twice for the Clippers over the past week. In the 110-103 loss to the Sixers, Williams had a somewhat pedestrian outing with 13 points on just 5-for-15 shooting from the floor.
In the next outing against the Celtics though, it was a completely different story. In that contest, Sweet Lou poured in 35 points to go along with six rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Clippers from dropping their second straight game and their third loss in four games. Williams has won the Sixth Man of the Year award in each of the last two seasons but the race towards a third one is going to be a tight one.
