Sixth Man of the Year
Winner- Lamar Odom- Los Angeles Lakers
The clear-cut winner of the best reserve for the 2010-2011 is Los Angeles Lakers’ big man Lamar Odom. Just as Kevin Love improved his game during the FIBA Championships, Odom’s leadership qualities and confidence were boosted thanks to his time in Turkey. Although Odom played a vital role in the Lakers’ previous two championships, his involvement and importance to this season’s team in indescribable.
The Lakers have had trouble beating the upper echelon teams without a stellar performances by Odom. His versatile performance and his ability to play every position is irreplaceable and no other Laker can fill the void if Odom were to miss a game. The Lakers are near unstoppable if Odom plays at his best, and unlike any other player in the NBA, Odom is guarded by a less capable player nearly every game. This season, Lamar Odom has been averaging 14.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 3.0 apg; with only a few weeks left in the regular season, Odom will certainly deserves to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Runner-up- Jason Terry- Dallas Mavericks
Jason Terry is always in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, as he is a valuable asset for the Mavericks coming off the bench. Terry won this award in 2009, but this season he has not been performing at the level he is accustomed to. Terry is no longer a prolific scorer and is unable to provide the Mavs with the scoring explosion he was once did. This season the “Jet” has averaged 16.4 ppg and 4.2 apg, but his numbers have been overshadowed by the amazing play of Lamar Odom.
3rd Place- Jamal Crawford- Atlanta Hawks
Jamal Crawford is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and he had a spectacular season last year with the Atlanta Hawks. Crawford was a potent offensive player and his contributions off the bench helped the Hawks secure a top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, this season Crawford is not putting up the same numbers and in certain games he is ostracized from the Hawks’ offense. Jamal Crawford is currently averaging 14.3 points per game, nearly four points less than his average in the 2009-2010 season.