Every reserve NBA player is chasing Sixth Man of the Year, but few actually achieve the title. By the end of each season, there is usually a player that stands out among the rest. This season, the race may be tighter than in recent years. However, Bobby Portis is making his case very clear that he’s being forgotten about in the race for the award.
Breakdown of Eligible Candidates
Using StatMuse, we compiled a group of stats to be able to compare the top nine players with the best odds to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. Here are the Stats1:
While diving into the results, there were a few glaring numbers that stood out. Russell Westbrook clearly puts up with the best stat line among the candidates but he’s also sporting the worst shooting numbers and team record. Jordan Poole will likely move into the starting lineup with the Steph Curry news. Depending on how many games Poole starts, he may not be eligible for the award. Gary Trent Jr. plays the highest number of minutes but doesn’t average the most points. Outside of scoring, Trent Jr. isn’t bringing much value to the team in other statistical categories.
Bobby’s Case for Sixth Man of the Year
Bobby Portis has thrived in whichever role Milwaukee has asked him to play. Portis would likely have been in the running for the award last year if not for Brook Lopez’s back injury. On the season, Portis has 16 double-doubles in his 27 games played. Of the players mentioned on the stat sheet above, Portis is playing the sixth most minutes and scoring at an efficient rate. Portis is shooting 49.8% from the field is amazing considering he scores at all three levels.
When the MVP conversations start, the three front runners are Giannis, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum. Bobby Portis has more double-doubles than two of the three, all while playing fewer minutes, and it’s not his teammate Giannis.
Bobby Portis has more double-doubles this season than
Embiid
LeBron
Luka
Ayton
Tatum
BamOn fewer MPG than all of them. pic.twitter.com/J4dO4oGN3l
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 14, 2022
The Sixth Man of the Year award should also be awarded to a member of a winning team. Tyler Herro and Jordan Clarkson were the last two winners of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. Each of these players were on teams that finished first in their respective conferences. If winning truly is a factor, Malcolm Brogdon and Bobby Portis should be the top two considered for the award, not 3rd and 8th respectively.
Final Thought…
Bobby Portis impacts winning. Not only does Portis impact winning, but he’s also doing it efficiently and in low minutes. Portis has more double-doubles than many NBA superstars. Add in Milwaukee’s current position in the eastern conference and there’s no way to put it other than Bobby Portis is being overlooked and disrespected by having the 8th best odds to win the award. Wisconsin doesn’t currently have legal sports betting but $100 on Portis at +4000 doesn’t seem like a bad bet at all.
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