Early Season NBA 6th Man of the Year Predictions: Buddy Hield, Payton Pritchard Emerge as Favorites

A couple of weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season, many teams have found their groove, while there are some who are stuttering. Sides like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers have disappointed, while the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have come up as the surprise packages. The teams who have done well in the early stages have one thing in common — effective bench play.

To contend for the championship, a dominant starting five is a prerequisite. However, without a productive bench, there’s only so far a team can go.

The sixth man helps set the tone of the second unit and ensures there isn’t a drop in production. There are occasions when they’re responsible for picking up the slack if the starters aren’t performing.

While it is early days, there are a few candidates who have stood out in the race for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The two who are ahead of the pack are Warriors’ Buddy Hield and Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard.

Buddy Hield

Hield was asked to take up a very difficult role as the season began. The Warriors lost Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason. Golden State viewed Hield as their replacement for the Splash brother.

Hield, on his part, had struggled to find playing time with the Sixers toward the end of last season. With the Warriors, he is thriving at the moment.

The 31-year-old is currently second in scoring despite coming off the bench. He’s only a tenth of a point behind Stephen Curry.

The three-point sniper averages 21.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, with an efficient 51% shooting from the field. Hield is shooting a ridiculous 50.7% from three-point range as well.

He is spearheading the best bench in the NBA. After eight games, Golden State’s second unit holds a net rating of +10.9, by far the best mark in the league. This is a huge improvement from last season, where the Warriors’ bench net rating was only +2.2.

Golden State were unable to reach the playoffs last year. They are back into contention in the Western Conference now. The addition of Hield seems to have reignited the fire, putting him right at the top in the race for the 6th man award.

Payton Pritchard

Point guard Pritchard has finally become an integral part of Boston’s rotation. In the past few seasons, he was receiving minutes, but wasn’t a mainstay in the rotation. That has changed now.

Pritchard is the perfect spark plug for the Celtics. The side has so many playmakers who allow Pritchard to excel in his role as a scorer and shooter. To start the season, the 6-foot-1 guard is averaging a career-high 16.0 points, along with 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

His electric outing against the Milwaukee Bucks made heads turn. Pritchard exploded scoring 28 points off the bench, shooting 71.4% from the field. He landed eight three-pointers, which was the same as the entire Bucks team.

The defending champions have started the season without star big man Kristaps Porzingis. However, the production from one of the smallest players on the court has filled the void left by the Latvian star.

Three through five

There are other players too who are staking their claim for the award besides Hield and Pritchard. Next on the list is Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin.

The 6-foot-6 guard may have gone under the radar due to a torn labrum last season. The injury sidelined him during the team’s run to the Conference Finals. However, he’s back to his best this season.

Mathurin is averaging 16.8 points and 5.9 rebounds, which is the third most in the team behind Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. His production off the bench has been pivotal to their success.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann is making the most of his opportunity as well.

Due to the wealth of talent in Oklahoma City, Mann didn’t get the chance to showcase his talents. That has changed this season.

He is averaging 16.1 points and 3.6 assists and is yet to miss from the free-throw line. Hornets’ star sophomore Brandon Miller missed a few games due to injury. Mann stepped up with ease. And he has maintained the same level of production since Miller’s return.

Finally, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner is in the running for the award again. Minnesota Timberwolves big man, Naz Reid, has improved again from last season.

There were many questions surrounding the Timberwolves following Karl-Anthony Towns’ trade to the New York Knicks. But Reid has helped keep the team together. His improvement hasn’t come from higher usage but from higher efficiency.

Seven games in, Reid is averaging 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He’s shooting a career-high 57.8% from the field and 48.5% from three-point range. Compared to last season, he is attempting 1.4 fewer shots while averaging 1.8 more points.

The race for Sixth Man of the Year will be a close one. It, invariably, gets decided based on the team’s success. Regardless, there are plenty of players across the league who are thriving in their role as a leader off the bench.