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Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat shoots against Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat shoots against Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images via AFP.

The NBA has recognized the best bench player with the Sixth Man of the Year Award since the 1982-83 campaign. Check out our top NBA Sixth Man of the Year picks and predictions below.

This year’s Sixth Man of the Year candidates include last year’s winner, Tyler Herro, breakout sharpshooter Jordan Poole, and the recently traded Malcolm Brogdon.

Here are some of the top Sixth Man of the Year picks and predictions for the 2022-23 NBA season (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

Top 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Picks to Make: Favorites

Jordan Poole (+400)

Poole is the favorite by a wide margin because of last season’s performance. With Klay Thompson out to start the season, Poole filled in and started 56 games for the Warriors. On the season, he averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 threes, all career-best marks.

With Thompson now healthy, Poole should be the first guy off the bench and push for 20 points per night on a championship contender. That’s clear Sixth Man of the Year material right there.

Tyler Herro (+800)

Can Herro repeat? Only five players in history have won the award multiple times, and Kevin McHale, Detlef Schrempf, and Lou Williams are the only ones to win in back-to-back seasons.

Nothing has really changed for Herro, either. He’s still set up to play big minutes off the bench for one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. As an adept scorer, his counting stats should be more than sufficient to keep him in the running yet again.

Top 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Picks to Make: Value Bets

Malcolm Brogdon (+1100)

He’s got a Rookie of the Year Award on his resume, a 50/40/90 shooting season under his belt, and, at one point, the Pacers brought him in to be their go-to guy.

Brogdon isn’t a scrub, and he should play heavy minutes in a Boston rotation that figures to be pretty tight. Brogdon’s efficiency took a dive in Indiana when he was asked to shoulder the team’s primary scoring duties. However, as the leader of the second unit, he won’t have those pressures, and his quality shooting should return.

Expect strong scoring and assist numbers with plus-money odds.

Bones Hyland (+1400)

Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr are back, so there’s no way Hyland can have any value this season, right? Wrong.

Make no bones about it, Hyland’s got plenty of upside off the bench for the Nuggets this season after averaging 10.1 points, 2.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.9 triples in just 19.0 minutes per game as a rookie. Denver traded Monte Morris and Will Barton to Washington and didn’t bring back Facundo Campazzo or Austin Rivers. The backup point guard job is Hyland’s alone, and a bump in minutes should mean a second-year jump in production.

He shot just over 40% from the floor, and that number figures to improve based on age and experience. Denver should be one of the best teams in the West, and Hyland will likely be a major contributor.

Hyland is my favorite bet to win Sixth Man of the Year.

Top 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Picks to Make: Long Shots

Caris LeVert (+3000)

With Donovan Mitchell now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, their starting lineup likely doesn’t have room for LeVert. He’ll presumably be the first guy off the bench for a team that should be an Eastern Conference contender.

LeVert has averaged 18.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds across his last three seasons.

Kelly Oubre (+3500)

LaMelo Ball is going to miss some time to start the season, and Miles Bridges is unlikely to play with the team at all. Oubre came off the bench for 63 of his 76 games with the Charlotte Hornets last season and averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 triples, and 1.0 steals. More minutes off the bench should boost his chances to win Sixth Man of the Year.

De’Anthony Melton (+4000) and Montrezl Harrell (+5000)

Since the 2013-14 season, the Sixth Man of the Year winner has played for a Doc Rivers team five times. Harrell won the award in 2019-20 under Rivers, and the pair have been reunited with the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom Harrell should be Joel Embiid’s primary backup at center.

Melton has impressed in training camp with the Sixers and had a solid preseason thanks to his defensive contributions and ability to score.

I favor Harrell since he’s already won the award and has a history with Rivers, but both players are worth a look.

Where to Bet on NBA Sixth Man of the Year Picks

NBA Sixth Man of the Year picks made on 10/13/2022 at 10:56 a.m.