Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images
Greatest sixth man in Boston Celtics history: John Havlicek
Choosing the greatest sixth man in Boston Celtics history is a nearly impossible task, as perhaps four of the top-five sixth men to ever play the game suited up in that role for the Celtics. Four players currently in the Hall of Fame spent time as sixth men for Boston.
Frank Ramsey is held up as the first sixth man, Kevin McHale began as a sixth man before moving into the starting lineup on the dominant 80s teams, and Bill Walton won an MVP before injuries forced him into a smaller role off the bench in Boston, where he excelled and won a title.
The cream of the sixth man crop is, in the end, John Havlicek. The Ohio State star was very nearly a Cleveland Brown before he was cut in training camp, and joined the Celtics in 1962. Boston was coming off of five titles in six seasons, and trailblazer Ramsey was fading into the end of his career. With no need for any help in the starting lineup “Hondo” became the new sixth man and starred in that role for five years.
The young Havlicek didn’t waste time putting up numbers, and by his second season was averaging 19.9 points per game, which led the team. The Celtics won four straight rings to start Havlicek’s career, and by 1965 head coach Red Auerbach was moving Hondo into the starting lineup for key playoff tilts. Once Auerbach retired, Havlicek transitioned into the starting lineup full-time and led the Celtics to a pair of titles himself in the 1970s after Bill Russell had retired.
In all, Havlicek would play 16 seasons for the Celtics, winning eight titles (8-0 in the Finals) and being named an All-Star 13 times. 11 times he was an All-NBA selection, including making the second team in 1964 while coming off the bench. The all-time franchise leader in points, Havlicek began his career as the greatest sixth man in NBA history and ended as one of the greatest Celtics in franchise history.
Boston Celtics</a> history is a nearly impossible task, as perhaps four of the top-five sixth men to ever play the game suited up in that role for the Celtics. Four players currently in the Hall of Fame spent time as sixth men for Boston.</p>
<p>Frank Ramsey is held up as the first sixth man, Kevin McHale began as a sixth man before moving into the starting lineup on the dominant 80s teams, and Bill Walton won an MVP before injuries forced him into a smaller role off the bench in Boston, where he excelled and won a title.</p>
<p>The cream of the sixth man crop is, in the end, John Havlicek. The Ohio State star was very nearly a Cleveland Brown before he was cut in training camp, and joined the Celtics in 1962. Boston was coming off of five titles in six seasons, and trailblazer Ramsey was fading into the end of his career. With no need for any help in the starting lineup “Hondo” became the new sixth man and starred in that role for five years.</p>
<p>The young Havlicek didn’t waste time putting up numbers, and by his second season was averaging 19.9 points per game, which led the team. The Celtics won four straight rings to start Havlicek’s career, and by 1965 head coach Red Auerbach was moving Hondo into the starting lineup for key playoff tilts. Once Auerbach retired, Havlicek transitioned into the starting lineup full-time and led the Celtics to a pair of titles himself in the 1970s after Bill Russell had retired.</p>
<p>In all, Havlicek would play 16 seasons for the Celtics, winning eight titles (8-0 in the Finals) and being named an All-Star 13 times. 11 times he was an All-NBA selection, including making the second team in 1964 while coming off the bench. The all-time franchise leader in points, Havlicek began his career as the greatest sixth man in NBA history and ended as one of the greatest Celtics in franchise history.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Brooklyn Nets history: Aaron Williams</h2>
<p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/brooklyn-nets/">Brooklyn Nets</a> franchise began in New York and in the ABA, where they won two titles behind Julius “Dr. J” Erving. After joining the NBA in 1976, moving to New Jersey and trading away Erving, the Nets would not make it past the second round of the playoffs until 2002.</p>
<p>The previous summer the Nets made the move to bring in All-Star point guard Jason Kidd, and he was at the center of a tough defensive team that twice made the NBA Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 and the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.</p>
<p>The backbone of those teams defensively was Kenyon Martin, but his partner down low was big man Aaron Williams. The 6’9″ Williams played more than four seasons with the Nets, appearing in 317 games and starting just 45 of them. Williams was not a heavy-minutes player in New Jersey, averaging around 20 minutes per contest in 2002 and 2003, but defensively he was a wall when he was on the court.</p>
<p>Williams averaged 2.4 defensive win shares in his four full seasons on the Nets, second only to Martin on the team. Many sixth men are offensive-minded, and Williams was no offensive slouch, but it was his defense that made him a valuable part of two conference-winning teams.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3072px;">Doug Pensinger /Allsport</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Charlotte Hornets history: Dell Curry</h2>
<p>Perhaps best known today as the father of two-time MVP Steph Curry, the second “Wardell Stephen Curry” was first an NBA player himself, coming off the bench for the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/charlotte-hornets/">Charlotte Hornets</a>. Dell Curry was selected in the 1988 expansion draft by the Hornets and would play 10 seasons in Charlotte.</p>
<p>Altogether Curry appeared in 701 contests and started just 77 times, generally as an injury replacement. He came off the bench as a shooter, dropping in 20.1 points per-36 minutes over his Charlotte career. Despite rarely starting Curry averaged 25 minutes, carving out a substantial role as the Hornets’ sixth man. In 1993-94 Curry won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 16.3 points per game in just 26.5 points per game.</p>
<p>Curry’s best skill was his long-range shooting, unsurprising given his son’s unique gifting. Although the last decade has seen a 3-point revolution, in the 1980s and 90s shooting 3-pointers was a more limited gifting.</p>
<p>Prior to 2000, there are only eight individual player seasons where a bench player (less than 30 starts in a season) hit 150 3-pointers and shot at least 40 percent. Curry represents three of those seasons as a quintessential “bench shooter” for the Hornets; no other player put up more than one such season. Since 2000 that has happened 15 times, including six times from 2016-18. Dell Curry was, in a way, ahead of his time.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-209919 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1558,w_2007/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F08%2F51641837-steve-kerr-r-of-the-chicago-bulls-dives-for-a-lo.jpg" alt="Chicago Bulls" width="2007" height="1558" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/51641837-steve-kerr-r-of-the-chicago-bulls-dives-for-a-lo.jpg 2007w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/51641837-steve-kerr-r-of-the-chicago-bulls-dives-for-a-lo-768x596.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 2007px) 100vw, 2007px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:2007px;">STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Chicago Bulls history: Steve Kerr</h2>
<p>No NBA dynasty can stay in power without the support of a strong bench, and the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/chicago-bulls/">Chicago Bulls</a> of the 1990s were no exception. Because of their dominance, the players became well known, even more than just the stars, and a number of their bench players are familiar names to basketball fans.</p>
<p>Two such names should be familiar as sixth men for the second title run: Toni Kukoč and Steve Kerr. Kukoč won Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench in 1995-96, but he was an occasional starter who played less and less off the bench over that three-year span. By contrast, Kerr had the same role throughout his Chicago tenure — bench marksman.</p>
<p>Kerr spent five seasons with the Bulls, coming off the bench for all 456 games. In a league where 3-point shooting was relegated to a shooting specialist, Kerr filled that role beautifully for the Bulls. He shot 47.9 percent from long range over those five seasons as perhaps the league’s best shooter in the 90s.</p>
<p>One accomplishment often lauded is the “50-40-90” club, speaking to a scorer’s percentages. While Kerr never shot enough free throws to technically qualify he shattered that barrier in multiple seasons, including 1995-96 when he introduced the “50-50-90” club, a club he occupies alone. Kerr went on to play a similar role on multiple title teams in San Antonio, continuing the role he perfected in Chicago.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-328842 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1600,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F74096067.jpeg" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers" width="1600" height="1600" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/74096067.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/74096067-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/74096067-768x768.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Lou Capozzola/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Cleveland Cavaliers history: Hot Rod Williams</h2>
<p>As a small child, John Williams would scoot backward around his family’s home while making engine noises, and was affectionately nicknamed “Hot Rod” by his family. The name stuck, and Williams was known by Hot Rod throughout his NBA career.</p>
<p>Williams was part of a strong Cleveland Cavaliers rookie class that put three players, including Williams, on an All-Rookie team. A prolific shot blocker, he was a defensive anchor off the bench for the Cavaliers as they tried to make a move in the Eastern Conference. After making the postseason just once in nine years, the Cavaliers made the playoffs nine of the next ten years with Williams as a rotation player.</p>
<p>Hot Rod came off the bench for 125 of 164 games from 1988-90, averaging 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in 1989-90. He parlayed that stretch into a seven-year, $26.5 million contract in 1990, making him one of the highest-paid players in the entire league — a fact even more surprising given his sixth-man role.</p>
<p>Williams came off the bench primarily until 1994 and played another pair of seasons in Cleveland before bouncing out west for the last few seasons of his career. His shot-blocking continued strong throughout the 90s, and his 1200 blocks with Cleveland led the franchise until Zydrunas Ilgauskas snuck past him in 2009 at the end of his Cavaliers career.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-328966 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F143900415.jpeg" alt="Dallas Mavericks" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/143900415.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/143900415-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Dallas Mavericks history: Jason Terry</h2>
<p>Although throughout NBA history the sixth man role enveloped players at every position, but by the mid-2000s most teams utilized a wing scorer — often a combo guard — as their top player off the bench. One of the best of these was Jason Terry, who perfected the job with the Dallas Mavericks.</p>
<p>Terry joined the Mavericks in 2004, and after starting for three seasons moved onto the bench. He was the quintessential sixth man, only making spot starts but still averaging over 30 minutes per game each of the next five seasons. In 2008-09 Terry put in his best scoring season, averaging 19.6 points per game despite just 11 starts.</p>
<p>That year Terry won the Sixth Man of the Year award, earning 95 percent of the first-place vote. The season before Terry placed third in that award voting, while in 2011 he finished second. That 2011 season saw Terry play a key part of a run to the NBA Finals that saw that core win their only title.</p>
<p>The Dallas Mavericks under Rick Carlisle and his predecessor Avery Johnson made the utilization of a sixth man part of their everyday strategy. Prior to Terry excelling in the role, Johnson deployed Jerry Stackhouse off the bench, and in recent seasons Carlisle has deployed a number of combo guards off the bench.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-428308 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2103,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2021%2F05%2F113123584.jpeg" alt="J.R. Smith" width="3200" height="2103" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/05/113123584.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/05/113123584-768x505.jpeg 768w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/05/113123584-850x560.jpeg 850w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">J.R. Smith (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Denver Nuggets history: J.R. Smith</h2>
<p><em><strong>This slide was updated by Hans Themistode on 5/10/2021</strong></em></p>
<p>He came across as aloof, quirky and maybe a bit of an underachiever but for Denver Nuggets fans, J.R. Smith was a player that would light up the scoreboard and instantly place a smile on their faces.</p>
<p>Coming straight out of high school in 2004, Smith was traded to Denver in 2006. He quickly became a crowd pleaser with his flying dunks and penchant for knocking down three’s. During his five-year tenure, Smith never averaged less than 12.3 points per game. Long before taking and making three pointers became the must do thing to do in the league today, Smith was a perennial threat from behind the line. Only once did he average less than two made three pointers a night.</p>
<p>Smith was a big reason why the Nuggets made it to the postseason in each of five seasons. Once there, Smith was far from an innocent bystander. In 2008, he averaged 18.3 points per game and the following season, poured in 14.9 as the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference finals. Even in his reserve role, Smith still holds the franchise for the most three’s made in Nuggets history with 768.</p>
<p>Smith may have forced fans to scratch their heads at times and throw up their hands in frustration but he was by far the best sixth man this franchise has ever had.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-328970 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F967235686.jpeg" alt="Detroit Pistons" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/967235686.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/967235686-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Detroit Pistons history: Vinnie Johnson</h2>
<p>While the Boston Celtics may have invented the sixth man, and utilized a number of high-profile players in the role, the Detroit Pistons can boast that they started the archetype of the modern sixth man. Teams today use prolific offensive guards off the bench as “microwave scorers” who can come into a game cold and generate points.</p>
<p>Back in the 1980s, the Detroit Pistons employed “The Microwave” himself, Vinnie Johnson. He was a Pistons mainstay, playing more games than any other Detroit guard during the Chuck Daly era. While players such as Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer are more well-known for their part in the “Bad Boys” identity, Johnson was no less an integral part of that dynasty’s success.</p>
<p>During the rise to and defense of dominance in the 1980s and early 90s, Johnson played in 485 out of a possible 192 games. Filling in only when an injury to Thomas or Joe Dumars kept them out of the lineup, Johnson started just 72 of those 485 games.</p>
<p>The Microwave earned himself a new nickname due to the most famous play of his career. The Pistons closed out their second title in 1990 on a Johnson jumper that snapped through the net with 0.07 seconds remaining. Johnson was known as “007” in Detroit after that.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-328971 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F970039744.jpeg" alt="Golden State Warriors" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/970039744.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/970039744-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Golden State Warriors history: Andre Iguodala</h2>
<p>In the summer of 2013 the Golden State Warriors traded two first-round draft picks to open up the space to sign Andre Iguodala. The following season he started every game he appeared in, and the Warriors lost in seven to the Los Angeles Clippers.</p>
<p>Come the 2014-15 season, new head coach Steve Kerr asked Iguodala to do something the wing had never done in his entire career: come off of the bench. Iguodala had started 806 consecutive games to start his NBA career, but Kerr felt that young forward Harrison Barnes needed to be insulated in the starting lineup, while Iguodala could lessen the wear on his body coming off the bench.</p>
<p>Iguodala accepted the change in role and the Warriors have not looked back, reaching four straight NBA Finals and winning three championships. Iguodala, while not starting more than a handful of games in four years, is a part of the very best lineups the Warriors deployed: termed the “Death Lineup” or “Hampton’s Five” depending on the season, lineups where Iguodala replaced the starting center destroyed opponents.</p>
<p>While a gifted ball handler and passer who averaged as many as 19.9 points per game in a season for the Philadelphia 76ers, in Golden State Iguodala has made his impact on the defensive end. It was his defense of LeBron James, forcing the Cleveland star into inefficient looks, that saw him awarded the Finals MVP in 2015.</p>
<p>Iguodala’s lack of points scored and relatively limited minutes during the regular season have prevented him from winning a Sixth Man of the Year award, despite the leaguewide recognition that he has been the best bench player in the league since moving there in 2014-15. By the time his career his over Iguodala may win a handful more rings while playing off the bench, saving his best for the postseason.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-328973 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1179,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1052932638.jpeg" alt="Houston Rockets" width="1600" height="1179" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1052932638.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1052932638-768x566.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Houston Rockets history: Eric Gordon</h2>
<p>The Houston Rockets under head coach Mike D’Antoni have pushed the boundaries of “modern” NBA, jacking up 3-pointers galore and spacing the court like no team in NBA history. 2017-18 MVP James Harden has carved up defenses inside, helped by the extra space afforded him by sixth man Eric Gordon.</p>
<p>Signed in the summer of 2016, Gordon is completely unafraid of taking shots from downtown. Only one player in NBA history has hit at least 200 3-pointers while starting 30 or fewer games in a season: Eric Gordon, who did so in both 2016-17 and 2017-18. He was one of the first players to regularly spot up from a significant distance behind the 3-point arc, further increasing the spacing inside.</p>
<p>Lineups with Gordon, Harden and All-Star point guard Chris Paul are some of the most potent offensively in recent NBA history. In 2017-18 the average lineup featuring those three players outscored opponents by 22.2 points per 100 possessions <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://www.cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/11/lineups?season=2017&on=2857&on=1326&on=1487&all_or_any=all%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Cleaning the Glass</a>.</p>
<p>By coming off the bench Gordon was able to pair with either Paul or Harden easily and ensure the Rockets always had two of their three primary creators on the court. The sheer production Gordon has provided may float him into the starting lineup full-time, but he has already banked a pair of uniquely long-range seasons off the bench.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Indiana Pacers </a>
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<img class="wp-image-328977 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1607,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F690117688.jpeg" alt="Indiana Pacers" width="1600" height="1607" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/690117688.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/690117688-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/690117688-768x771.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Indiana Pacers history: Detlef Schrempf</h2>
<p>Only twice in the history of the Sixth Man of the Year award has a player won in back-to-back seasons. Kevin McHale accomplished the feat in the mid-1980s, and forward Detlef Schrempf won twice for the Indiana Pacers in 1991 and 1992.</p>
<p>At the time only a handful of European players dotted NBA rosters, and Schrempf made it clear he belonged with a productive 17-year career. The native of Germany began his career in Dallas before spending four-and-a-half seasons with the Pacers.</p>
<p>Schrempf played in 240 of a possible 246 games from 1989-1992 in Indiana, starting in just 25 of those. Despite not starting he averaged at least 32 minutes per game in all three seasons, dropping over 16 points per game. His 1991-92 seasons saw him pour in 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, winning him his second consecutive Sixth Man of the Year award.</p>
<p>That season prompted the Pacers to move him into the starting lineup, where he qualified for his first All-Star Game in 1993. Schrempf would move on to Seattle and be a starter for the next stretch of his career. In 1999 he joined the contending Portland Trail Blazers and moved back to the bench for the final two seasons of his career.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Los Angeles Clippers </a>
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<img class="wp-image-328978 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1600,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1009939790.jpeg" alt="LA Clippers" width="1600" height="1600" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1009939790.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1009939790-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1009939790-768x768.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Chris Elise/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Los Angeles Clippers history: Jamal Crawford</h2>
<p>One of the ageless wonders of the NBA world, Jamal Crawford has become a journeyman bench scorer who can still break the ankles of unsuspecting rookies. After transitioning to the bench in Atlanta to great success, Crawford became a critical part of Lob City as their reliable sixth man.</p>
<p>Crawford spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, coming off the bench for all but 35 games. He averaged 27.9 minutes per game with the club, coming in and lighting up the scoreboard. Only Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, perennial All-Stars, scored more points for the Clippers over that span.</p>
<p>The most exciting part of Clippers games was often not the high-flying dunks, but rather when Crawford started cooking. He could hit 20 points in a flash if he was hot, and many a game was won when Crawford lit up whatever poor defender was charged with checking him.</p>
<p>Twice Crawford was recognized for his production off the bench in Los Angeles, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2014 and 2016. In 2013 he was a close second to J.R. Smith for the award, and he placed third in 2015. For a solid decade, Crawford demonstrated how a player could come off the bench and still be one of the league’s best scorers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Los Angeles Lakers </a>
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<img class="wp-image-328986 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1731359.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Lakers" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1731359.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1731359-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Peter Read Miller/NBAE/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Los Angeles Lakers history: Michael Cooper</h2>
<p>The Showtime Lakers were an entity unto themselves in the NBA in the 1980s, the height of popularity at a time when the league needed a shot of that to stay afloat. Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers provided that and more, making the NBA Finals eight times in ten years.</p>
<p>The foil to Showtime was down-to-earth Indiana farm boy Larry Bird. Bird and the Boston Celtics won titles in 1981, 84 and 86. They may have won more but lost head-to-head to the Lakers twice. There was perhaps no player in the league who could slow down Larry Bird better than Michael Cooper, and he played for the Lakers.</p>
<p>“Coop” played all twelve of his seasons for the Lakers, and came off the bench primarily the entire time. With Magic Johnson and Byron Scott starting in the backcourt Cooper was brought in as the first sub as a defensive specialist, manning up on the other team’s best wing scorer. When the Lakers played the Celtics, that meant he took on Bird.</p>
<p>In her book “When the Game Was Ours” Jackie MacMullan quoted Larry Bird on the topic of being guarded by Michael Cooper.</p>
<p>“I knew when he was on me to make every open shot count, because there weren’t going to be many” (pg. 164). MacMullan later commented that Bird “never felt anyone except Cooper has successfully stymied him” (pg. 197). By way of illustration, it should be pointed out that Bird was 1-2 in Finals against Cooper and the Lakers and 2-0 otherwise.</p>
<p>Michael Cooper never stuffed the stat sheet or entertained crowds with his offensive prowess. He was certainly not a sixth man by the modern microwave-scorer definition. But he was one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league, and the Lakers deployed him to great success in winning five titles throughout his career. Never a full-time starter, Cooper nonetheless was an all-league defender eight times and won Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Memphis Grizzlies </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_328995" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-328995 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2293,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F187917898.jpeg" alt="Memphis Grizzlies" width="3200" height="2293" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/187917898.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/187917898-768x550.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Memphis Grizzlies history: Mike Miller</h2>
<p>The Memphis Grizzlies are a relatively young franchise, founded as the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995. Their best run came as the Grit’N’Grind Grizzlies of roughly 2008-2017, and those teams leaned heavily on their starters and not on a designated sixth man.</p>
<p>Although the options are slim they are certainly present, and a couple of players who started most of their careers in Memphis spent one season coming off the bench. The best of those seasons was Mike Miller in 2005-06.</p>
<p>After a brief stint on the Orlando Magic, Miller joined the Grizzlies in 2003 and played a little over five seasons. In 2005-06 he moved to the bench and was the sixth man for the team, averaging 30.6 minutes and 13.7 points per game.</p>
<p>Miller returned to the starting lineup the following season and soon thereafter moved on to other teams. In 2013 he returned to the Grizzlies for a single season, serving as a veteran mentor off the bench — a developmental sixth man, perhaps.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Miami Heat </a>
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<img class="wp-image-211859 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1530,w_2136/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F08%2F450526156-2014-nba-finals-game-four.jpg" alt="Miami Heat" width="2136" height="1530" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/450526156-2014-nba-finals-game-four.jpg 2136w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/450526156-2014-nba-finals-game-four-768x550.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 2136px) 100vw, 2136px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:2136px;">Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Miami Heat history: Ray Allen</h2>
<p>After battling with LeBron James for Eastern Conference dominance for years, shooting guard Ray Allen did the seemingly unthinkable in 2012 — he joined LeBron on the Miami Heat. While this move cost him fans and friendships, it also brought Allen his second NBA title in 2013.</p>
<p>With Dwyane Wade starting in Miami it was a bench role Allen came into, and he played two seasons as such for the Heat. In his late thirties, Allen did not have a high usage or play exorbitant minutes, but rather averaged around 25 minutes per game and just around 10 points.</p>
<p>Where Allen made a difference was in spacing the floor, always a valuable trait when playing alongside James. He knocked in 1.7 per game over those two seasons on 39.8 percent shooting. It was a 3-point shot with the Heat that became the defining moment of his career.</p>
<p>Allen came off the bench for that and all but one of his 43 playoff games with the Heat. While he was limited in many ways as he neared the end of his career he was still able to fill a role off the bench and be exactly where the Heat needed for at least one key shot during his time there.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Milwaukee Bucks </a>
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<img class="wp-image-329024 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F91159867.jpeg" alt="Milwaukee Bucks" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/91159867.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/91159867-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Milwaukee Bucks history: Ricky Pierce</h2>
<p>Younger fans may think of the Milwaukee Bucks as an inconsistent franchise unable to launch, and see Giannis Antetokounmpo’s teams as the first hope at making a push. That fails to recognize a long and often successful history, a team that has been better than average more often than not.</p>
<p>From 1977 to 1991 under coaches Don Nelson and Del Harris the Bucks made the playoffs 13 of 14 seasons, unable to break through past Philadelphia or Boston to the Finals but sustaining success throughout. For seven of those seasons, the Bucks deployed one of their best players from the bench: Ricky Pierce.</p>
<p>Pierce was a sixth man in the popular sense, a combo guard able to pour in points at a moment’s hesitation. In 1989-90 Pierce came off the bench in every single game and still averaged 23 points per game. He is the only player since the NBA began recording starts in 1981 to average more than 20 points per game without starting even once.</p>
<p>In all, Pierce played 460 regular season games for the Bucks and only started 46 times. Twice he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors, once in 1987 and once after that prolific 1990 season. He would end up bouncing around the league as a journeyman scorer and play for eight separate franchises by the end, and on only one team (Seattle) was he a regular starter. Pierce was a perfect fit as a sixth man, and the Bucks were well rewarded by that.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Minnesota Timberwolves </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329106" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329106 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2140,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F2069964.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves" width="3200" height="2140" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/2069964.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/2069964-768x514.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Minnesota Timberwolves history: Sam Mitchell</h2>
<p>The Minnesota Timberwolves began as a franchise in 1989 and have struggled to get their footing ever since. It was a slow start for the team, as they missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons before Kevin Garnett began leading them into the postseason.</p>
<p>While Garnett is the greatest player in Minnesota franchise history, and others have been more prolific, few have had the long-term connection that Sam Mitchell has. Signed as part of the original roster in 1989, Mitchell averaged 12.7 points per game and mostly came off of the bench.</p>
<p>He was mostly a starter for the next two seasons before the Timberwolves traded him, but Mitchell didn’t stay away for long. He returned in 1995 as a free agent and was the sixth man for the rise of Garnett and the Timberwolves’ first forays into the playoffs.</p>
<p>His second stint with the team lasted for seven years, and although he occasionally found his way into the starting lineup, he was mostly a bench fixture. Years after retiring Mitchell returned again to the Timberwolves in 2014 and was the first coach for Karl-Anthony Towns. His long boomerang tenure with the franchise began in 1989 as a sixth man.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> New Orleans Pelicans </a>
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<img class="wp-image-329111 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1144,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F517070666.jpeg" alt="New Orleans Pelicans" width="1600" height="1144" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/517070666.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/517070666-768x549.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in New Orleans Pelicans history: Ryan Anderson</h2>
<p>Stan Van Gundy, while head coach of the Orlando Magic, anticipated the modern NBA perfectly in forming a 4-out roster around All-NBA center Dwight Howard. While Rashard Lewis was the most well-known stretch-4 on that roster another tall sniper was developed in Orlando, much to the benefit of the New Orleans Pelicans.</p>
<p>Ryan Anderson became a full-time starter by his last season in Orlando, but in New Orleans he found himself on the same team as rookie top overall pick Anthony Davis, ready to develop into a superstar himself. Thus Anderson was deployed off the bench and there he stayed for the Hornets and later Pelicans, a role he thrived in.</p>
<p>By his final season in New Orleans, Anderson was the fully formed version of what many teams around the league coveted, a long-range shooter with big man size. Over four seasons in the Big Easy, he played in 230 games, starting just 48, and averaged 16.1 points per game.</p>
<p>The role he filled as an offensively-minded stretch-4 was perfect to pair with Davis, but Anderson’s inability to stay healthy made the combination unreliable. If he and Davis were both available the Pelicans could have pushed for even higher heights offensively.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> New York Knicks </a>
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<img class="wp-image-190314 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1453,w_2176/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F03%2F291096-knicks-v-cavaliers.jpg" alt="New York Knicks" width="2176" height="1453" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/291096-knicks-v-cavaliers.jpg 2176w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/291096-knicks-v-cavaliers-300x600.jpg 300w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/291096-knicks-v-cavaliers-768x0.jpg 768w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/291096-knicks-v-cavaliers-590x900.jpg 590w" sizes="(max-width: 2176px) 100vw, 2176px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:2176px;">Doug Pensinger/ALLSPORT</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in New York Knicks history: John Starks</h2>
<p>The New York Knicks have a long and storied history, albeit one with only a pair of distant titles that pale in comparison to annual expectations. While a number of stars have rotated through the starting lineups for the Knicks, there have also been a number of talented players to come off the bench and make an impact at Madison Square Garden.</p>
<p>John Starks was just that sort of player for the Knicks in the 1990s. An undrafted free agent, Starks worked his way into the rotation and in 1991-92 played in all 82 games, starting zero, and put up 13.9 points per game in 25.8 minutes. The following season he pushed his way into the starting lineup and was a regular starter for much of four seasons, allowing teammate Anthony Mason to thrive as the sixth man and take home the hardware in 1995.</p>
<p>In 1994 Starks was named an All-Star for a Knicks team with championship aspirations under head coach Pat Riley, and indeed they fought through the Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals to face the Houston Rockets. He was incredible for six games as the Knicks pushed the series to seven games, only for his shot to leave him in the final contest. Starks shot 2-18 from the field and the Knicks lost the title to Houston and with it their best shot at a title in the modern era.</p>
<p>By 1996 Starks was back on the bench as a sixth man, and he won Sixth Man of the Year in a familiar role. Along with Mason and J.R. Smith, Starks makes the Knicks one of just two franchises with three different winners of the award. His career-defining moment in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals has stuck with him as many New York fans blame him for their loss. By the time the Knicks returned to the Finals in 1999 (another loss) Starks was gone.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Oklahoma City Thunder </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329118" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329118 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1259,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F146491778.jpeg" alt="OKC Thunder" width="1600" height="1259" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/146491778.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/146491778-768x604.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Oklahoma City Thunder history: James Harden</h2>
<p>The Oklahoma City Thunder currently retain the long history of the Seattle Sonics, and will until the Sonics again join the Storm in Seattle. Plenty of great players came off the bench in significant roles in Seattle, including Nate McMillan, Sam Perkins and Eddie Johnson. Xavier McDaniel dropped 20.5 points per game off the bench in 1988-89.</p>
<p>Even so, it is a player from the relatively short Oklahoma City days that makes the top of the list, and that is James Harden. The shooting guard out of Arizona has become a household name due to his beard and game, winning MVP with the Houston Rockets in 2017-18.</p>
<p>Before the controversial trade that shipped Harden out of town, he was one of the best bench players in the league with the Thunder. On a team with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, coach Scott Brooks felt Harden’s best role was as the sixth man to attack opposing benches and sustain the offense with other reserves.</p>
<p>Harden did that and more, averaging 16.8 points per game by his third season in the league. There have only been 17 player seasons where a player started five games or fewer and put up at least seven win shares. Harden owns two such seasons, including the second-most win shares (9.3 in 2011-12). He also has the two youngest seasons on that list.</p>
<p>That 2011-12 season saw Harden accomplish a number of things. First, he proved himself the best bench player in the league for that year in bringing home the Sixth Man of the Year award. Second, he made an impact on the national stage, playing well in the NBA Finals even though the Thunder lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.</p>
<p>Finally, Harden earned himself a maximum-level contract that the Thunder were not willing to pay — at least, not with Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka all needing major contracts as well. He was traded to Houston where he has started ever since, a trade that exists as one of NBA’s great what-if questions.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Orlando Magic </a>
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<img class="wp-image-329194 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1043,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1729421.jpeg" alt="Orlando Magic" width="1600" height="1043" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1729421.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1729421-768x501.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Orlando Magic history: Darrell Armstrong</h2>
<p>When Shaquille O’Neal left the Orlando Magic in the mid-90s they tumbled from contention, bouncing in and out of the playoffs and never making it past the first round. Yet, they did not post a losing record until 2003-04, sustained by players such as Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant and Darrell Armstrong.</p>
<p>Armstrong played the first nine seasons of his career on the Magic, starting as an end-of-rotation player who worked his way into a featured role off the bench. In the lockout-shortened 1998-99 seasons, he came out ready to play, appearing in all 50 games for a Chuck Daly-coached team that had its best finish since O’Neal’s departure.</p>
<p>Once merely Hardaway’s backup Armstrong began playing extended minutes alongside Hardaway, allowing him to stay on the court for longer stints. His 30 minutes per game ranked fourth on the team despite coming off the bench, and his 13.8 points were third on the defensively-minded squad.</p>
<p>Armstrong won Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts in 1999, an acknowledgment of his strong season. He parlayed that into a spot in the starting lineup the next season, leading the team in scoring. Despite spending half of his Magic career as a bench player Armstrong is still in the top-10 in points scored in team history.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Philadelphia 76ers </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329226" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329226 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2160,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F924266526.jpeg" alt="Philadelphia 76ers" width="3200" height="2160" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/924266526.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/924266526-768x518.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Philadelphia 76ers history: Bobby Jones</h2>
<p>The Philadelphia 76ers were a star-laden team in the early 1980s, with the two-way trio of Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Bobby Jones stocking the frontcourt. Jones had been one of the best defensive forwards in the ABA, and was a perennial fixture on All-Defense teams after he moved to the NBA.</p>
<p>Coming off three-straight All-Star appearances in Denver, Jones joined the 76ers in 1978 and saw a downtick in usage playing alongside Malone and Erving. Head coach Billy Cunningham then made a huge ask of the amiable Jones, moving him to the bench to serve as sixth man for the team.</p>
<p>The move was a resounding success, as Philadelphia reached the NBA Finals two of the next three seasons. Jones was an All-Star again in 1980-81 and 81-82. The following season the 76ers finally broke through and won an NBA title.</p>
<p>That same season the NBA introduced its new individual award, the Sixth Man of the Year. Jones was an obvious choice as the inaugural winner of the award in 1983. By the end of his career, he was an 11-time All-Defense selection and the best sixth man in Philadelphia 76ers history.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Phoenix Suns </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329242" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329242 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2130,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F619591386.jpeg" alt="Phoenix Suns" width="3200" height="2130" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/619591386.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/619591386-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Phoenix Suns history: Leandro Barbosa</h2>
<p>The Phoenix Suns are absolutely loaded with quality candidates for best sixth man, with options up and down franchise history. They are the only team to see four different players take home the hardware for the best bench player.</p>
<p>Danny Manning and Rodney Rogers both won the award for their work off the bench, averaging double-digit points. Eddie Johnson averaged 21.5 points off the bench in 1988-89, a crazy feat that won him the award as well. Dan Majerle put up 9.8 win shares off the bench in 1991-92, the second most all-time (behind Kevin McHale) for a player with 15 or fewer starts, and stands as one of the best sixth men to never win the award.</p>
<p>In the end, however, Leandro Barbosa gets the nod for his contributions to the Steve Nash Suns. He started 46 games his rookie season, then just 63 more over the other eight seasons he played in Phoenix. The “Brazilian Blur” played 553 total games for the Suns, most often deployed as an offensive spark off the bench.</p>
<p>Barbosa’s best season came in 2006-07 when he averaged 18.1 points and 4.0 assists, playing 32.7 minutes per game for the league’s best offensive team. From his speed cutting to the basket to a smooth outside shot Barbosa was as creative and gifted offensively as they come.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Portland Trail Blazers </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329247" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329247 size-large" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F909668562-850x560.jpeg" alt="Portland Trail Blazers" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Portland Trail Blazers history: Clifford Robinson</h2>
<p>The Portland Trail Blazers are in a way a degree or two removed from being chock-full of sixth men award winners. A number of players who won the award on another team found their way on the Trail Blazers at some point in their careers.</p>
<p>Bill Walton won MVP on the Trail Blazers before winning the award in Boston. Detlef Schrempf won the award twice in Indiana before filling a similar role in Portland. Jamal Crawford and Aaron McKie won at other stops as well.</p>
<p>The one Trail Blazer to bring home the award while in Portland was Clifford Robinson. The versatile forward played eight seasons to start his career with the Trail Blazers. He followed a similar career path to many on this list, working his way into the rotation and parlaying a strong sixth man campaign into a starting gig.</p>
<p>In 1992-93, Robinson was at his best as a sixth man averaging 19.1 points per game. He was a jack-of-all-trades, playing any frontcourt position when needed. After winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1993, he moved into the starting lineup and continued to find success.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Sacramento Kings </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329256" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329256 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F481845599.jpeg" alt="Sacramento Kings" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/481845599.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/481845599-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Sacramento Kings: Mike Woodson</h2>
<p>The coaching ranks are filled with former players who, after decades of living and breathing basketball, elect to stay around the game to continue their careers. Long before Mike Woodson was manning the sideline, he was coming off the bench for the Kansas City Kings.</p>
<p>Woodson joined the team in 1981, a few seasons before the franchise would move to Sacramento. After starting for a season, Woodson moved to the bench where he paradoxically received more minutes and scored more points.</p>
<p>Woodson put up 18.2 points per game that season, following it up with another pair of campaigns of double-digit scoring all while primarily coming off of the bench. In a way that would grate at the modern analytics crowd, Woodson scored not by shooting 3-pointers but by drawing fouls and taking midrange jumpers.</p>
<p>Woodson continued to produce for the Kings until in 1986 he and another future coach, Larry Drew, were traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He became more of a starter in Los Angeles and Houston before bouncing around more frequently to end his playing career.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> San Antonio Spurs </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329260" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329260 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2189,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F951733704.jpeg" alt="San Antonio Spurs" width="3200" height="2189" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/951733704.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/951733704-768x525.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili</h2>
<p>Most players who find themselves as sixth men take one of a handful of tracks to get there. They might be a younger player not yet proven as a reliable starter. They may also be a talented one-way player, either offense or defense, needing the blunter edge of entering a game from the bench. Other players see injuries or age-related decline slide them onto the bench.</p>
<p>The narrative was different for the San Antonio Spurs when head coach Gregg Popovich made the decision to move Manu Ginobili to the bench. The Argentinian star came to the NBA after years of dominance in other countries, and soon was a full-time starter for the team.</p>
<p>After titles in 2003 and 2005, Popovich came to the conclusion that starting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili left a hole on the bench that could not be filled by another player. To spread out his best players and provide the bench some offensive creation, Ginobili became a sixth man for the Spurs in the prime of his career.</p>
<p>Ginobili averaged double-digit points for a number of seasons with the Spurs, hitting 19.5 points per game in 2007-08. He won Sixth Man of the Year that season, although looking back it’s almost shocking he did not win more than once. The Spurs won two more titles with Ginobili as the sixth man, and he continued being productive off the bench into his 40s when he made the decision to retire.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Toronto Raptors </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329263" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329263 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F470578992.jpeg" alt="Toronto Raptors" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/470578992.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/470578992-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Toronto Raptors: Lou Williams</h2>
<p>The Toronto Raptors are one of the league’s younger teams, and therefore do not have as long of a period with which to have captured the best of the best sixth man seasons. Players coming off of the bench have only averaged double-digit points seven times, and only once has a player broke 27 minutes per game.</p>
<p>Even so, the Raptors caught lightning in a bottle in 2014-15 when they employed the services of Lou Williams. The combo guard had found great success as a bench scorer in Philadelphia and Atlanta prior to being traded to the Raptors in the summer of 2014.</p>
<p>“Sweet Lou” responded in a contract year by dropping 15.5 points per game, the most by any Raptors bench player over the past twenty years. He hit 152 3-pointers, the most in his career to that point and the most on the entire team. He was recognized for his efforts with the Sixth Man of the Year award.</p>
<p>The next season Williams signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, ending his brief time in Toronto. Since then the Raptors have built a strong and deep bench with multiple players who could start elsewhere. For one season, however, they had one of the sixth-man greats dropping in buckets for Toronto.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Utah Jazz </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329266" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329266 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F116348784.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/116348784.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/116348784-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Utah Jazz: Thurl Bailey</h2>
<p>The greatest sixth man in the history of the Utah Jazz is a forward named Thurl Bailey. He entered the NBA after a Cinderella run with NC State in the NCAA tournament, winning the title over Houston. His first two seasons in the league he started over half of his games, refining his game for NBA level of competition.</p>
<p>In his third season, the Jazz moved him to the bench, and it was there that he truly began to thrive. Bailey was a player with plenty of offensive skill, and he showed it for those Jazz teams throughout the 1980s. In 1987-88 he averaged 19.6 points per game, and in 1988-89 he duplicated the feat with nearly identical numbers.</p>
<p>Few players have hit that level of production coming off the bench, and almost all of them won Sixth Man of the Year. Not so for Bailey, who ends up as perhaps the biggest snub in the history of the award.</p>
<p>Unlike some players, Bailey stayed in his role for an extended period of time. For the better part of seven seasons, he came off the bench for the Jazz, and showed up like clockwork, not missing a single game from 1987-92. Still an announcer with the team, Bailey was then and now a talented player making an impact for his team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Washington Wizards </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_329269" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="wp-image-329269 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/08/30-greatest-sixth-men-nba-history/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1076,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F260262.jpeg" alt="Washington Wizards" width="1600" height="1076" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/260262.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/260262-768x516.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Mandatory Photo Credit: Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Greatest sixth man in Washington Wizards: Tracy Murray</h2>
<p>The Washington Wizards, previously the Bullets, have mostly existed outside of the top levels of contention. After back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in the late 70s, including the franchise’s lone title, Washington has not played in another Conference Finals, let alone NBA Finals.</p>
<p>The 1990s were more downswing than upswing, with eight losing seasons out of ten. Yet the bright spot of two winning seasons and a trip to the playoffs occurred in 1997-99, led by All-Star forward Chris Webber.</p>
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<p>Sixth man Tracy Murray was a key part of those winning seasons. After a handful of seasons in the Western Conference, the small forward signed with Toronto and had something akin to a breakout season as a sixth man. He then signed with Washington as a free agent in the summer of 1996.</p>
<p>Filling the role of sixth man was a perfect fit for the forward, who could find more offensive traction playing against bench players. Murray played 280 games for the Bullets and Wizards, starting only 21 of them. His best season came in 1997-98 when he averaged 15.1 points off the bench. He dropped 50 points on the Warriors in February of 1998, and received votes for Sixth Man of the Year after the season.</p>
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<p>The NBA is too talented to fit all of the great players into starting lineups, and a number of teams have relied on strong bench players to drive them to success. For all of the players named here and all who were not, the tradition of the Sixth Man is going strong in the league today just as it has throughout the league’s rich past.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">