NBA Props: Will Lou Williams Win Another Sixth Man Award in 2021?

The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award should probably just be named after the Los Angeles Clippers at this point. Five of the last seven Sixth Man winners have come from the Clippers. Jamal Crawford won it twice in 2014 and 2016 as a Clipper, while Lou Williams won in both 2018 and 2019. Williams came in second behind teammate Montrezl Harrell, who won it last year.

In fact, players that played for the Clips at some point during their career have won Sixth Man in each of the last seven years. The last player to win it that has never donned the Clipper uniform is JR Smith, who took home the prize back in 2013 with the Knicks.

In news that should surprise nobody, a Clipper is set to begin the season as the betting favorite to win it again in 2021. That would be none other than Sweet Lou Williams, who checks-in at +400 to win his fourth Sixth Man of the Year trophy this season.

Williams taking home the award may be the most likely outcome, but he’s far from the only candidate on the board. BetOnline is taking bets on who will win Sixth Man of the Year this season as the most productive bench player in the Association. Which player is worth your wager?

Kyle Kuzma (+10000)

The Lakers won the title in the Orlando bubble thanks in most part to the exploits of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Kyle Kuzma, who managed to avoid last summer’s blockbuster trade that sent most of the Lakers’ young core to New Orleans, played a relatively minor role in the team’s run to a championship.

Kuz finished the season with relatively modest averages of 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting just over 31 percent from three-point range. The 25-year-old has shown some scoring chops early in his career, but his offensive opportunities took a hit last season with Davis joining the party. Kuzma is slated to begin the season in a reserve role with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope likely opening the season as the starting small forward.

Kuz’s status as a Laker certainly doesn’t hurt his chances of cashing-in come awards season. The Lakers are widely expected to be the best team in the Western Conference this season. If Kuzma shines as a go-to scoring option for LA’s second unit, he’ll get his fair share of the praise.

It’s a bit surprising to see his Sixth Man odds way down at +10000. The Lakers have a crowded rotation, but Kuzma is the type of microwave scorer that can thrive in this role. At the very worst, a cheap flier on his current +10000 odds is worth a look.

Carmelo Anthony (+8000)

Melo re-signed with the Blazers this offseason. While he started the vast majority of his games for Portland last year, he’ll likely be coming off the bench this time around. Zach Collins, Robert Covington, and Derrick Jones Jr. are all candidates to start in front of him, while Rodney Hood will factor back into things following last year’s Achilles injury.

Anthony showed last year that he’s still got plenty left in the tank. The future Hall-of-Famer isn’t a No. 1 scoring option at this stage of his career, but he still averaged a respectable 15.4 points per game in 58 regular-season appearances.

The Blazers look like an improved team on paper this offseason. The full-time return of Jusuf Nurkic should give the lineup a much-needed boost on both ends of the floor, and Melo should be able to settle in as one of the team’s backup scoring options.

If Portland exceeds expectations and challenges for one of the top seeds in the West, someone like Anthony could generate some buzz once awards season rolls around. As is the case with Kuzma, Melo just stands out as a solid long-shot betting option at his current +8000 odds. The Sixth Man field is crowded, but Melo in a reserve role can still put up numbers.

Terrence Ross (+5000)

Terrence Ross finished fifth in Sixth Man voting just two years ago. behind Williams, Domantas Sabonis, Harrell, and Spencer Dinwiddie. Ross has played himself into a role as the Magic’s primary scoring option off the bench in recent years.

While Orlando’s roster is generally stagnant, Ross is still a guy that benefits from having a defined role. When he’s out there, his job is to shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. His scoring average and shooting percentages dipped a bit last season, and it’s not great that he is already dealing with a foot injury this preseason.

The problem with Ross’ candidacy is that the Magic appear to be headed in the wrong direction. This team will likely challenge for one of the last Eastern Conference playoff spots, but the odds are actually against Orlando getting in. Teams that fail to make the playoffs, especially in the East, don’t typically fare well in postseason awards.

Still, +5000 is +5000. Ross could be primed for a bounce-back season if he’s able to stay healthy, and he is a guy that has challenged for this award in the past. Ross is a decent value option given the current odds.

DeMarcus Cousins (+5000)

The Rockets signed forward Christian Wood to a three-year deal worth $41 million this winter. One move that may have flown under the radar was their signing of former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins inked a one-year deal to join the Rockets in an attempt to restore his value. Boogie has essentially lost the last two years to injury.

The Rockets reportedly view Wood as a center, which means Cousins may well wind up coming off the bench once the regular season begins. Cousins has looked outstanding thus far in the preseason. If he is able to stay healthy, Boogie may wind up being quite a useful asset for the Rockets off the bench.

Through three preseason games, Cousins is averaging 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds despite averaging under 18 minutes per game. The Rockets are taking it easy on him considering his recent injury history, but he has the look of a guy that is still fully capable of contributing at a high level.

The Rockets’ playoff chances hinge on whether James Harden sticks around for a full season. Regardless, Cousins is the type of player that can put up big numbers even in limited minutes.

If he turns into Houston’s top gun from the second unit, who’s to say a Sixth Man trophy isn’t in his future?

I’d get a bet in on Cousins now while the odds remain where they are. The +5000 number is extremely attractive for a player of his caliber. Don’t sleep on Boogie.

Tyler Herro (+1400)

Tyler Herro was one of the breakout stars of the bubble. The rookie was thrust into a starring role during the Heat’s Cinderella run all the way to the Finals. With Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo coming down with injuries in the Finals, Herro was saddled with even more responsibility. He was up to the task and then some.

So, expectations are sky-high for the Kentucky product as he enters his second pro campaign. Herro will presumably be coming off the bench again this season with Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Duncan Robinson entrenched as starters. Herro had to contend wth significant playing time for Kendrick Nunn last season, but Herro has surely surpassed Nunn on the depth chart at this point.

Across 21 playoff games, Herro averaged 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while connecting on better than 37 percent of his three-point tries. He plays with more moxie than you would expect from a 20-year-old, and that confidence will likely be one of his biggest assets moving forward.

The Heat may not be among title favorites this season, but the Heat’s place near the top of the East should be assured once again. Herro should have plenty of opportunities to put up numbers with Miami’s second unit, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he wound up among the Heat’s minutes leaders. He looks like a stellar value option at +1400 to garner some Sixth Man recognition. The situation is ideal for a player with his skill set.

Montrezl Harrell (+1000)

Last year’s winner will be in a different situation this year. Harrell signed with the Lakers, which means he’ll be joining an even more loaded roster than the one he just left. Harrell thrived with the Clippers thanks in large part to his pick-and-roll partnership with Lou Williams.

Montrezl wound up closing lots of games for the Clippers, which may not be the case now that he’s a Laker. Anthony Davis will likely log plenty of minutes at the five, and Frank Vogel has plenty of different options up front. Harrell may not come all that close to matching last season’s average of 27.8 minutes per game, which obviously hurts his chances of putting up big numbers.

As of now, I think Harrell is a bit overvalued in the Sixth Man race at +1000. I’d wait for those odds to come down, or wait until we get a little more clarity on how his playing time will shake out in a new situation.

Danilo Gallinari (+700)

Danilo Gallinari is one of many new faces in Atlanta. The Hawks were busy this offseason in an attempt to turn the team from a lottery candidate into an Eastern Conference playoff challenger. Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo, and Kris Dunn are a few of the new players vying for playing time with the Hawks.

If preseason rotations are any indication, Lloyd Pierce is currently planning to play Gallinari in a bench role with John Collins and De’Andre Hunter starting at the forward spots. Gallinari figures to be the usage leader for Atlanta’s second unit, and he should see more scoring opportunities without having to share the floor too much with Trae Young.

If Atlanta improves, as many expect, some Hawks could get some love in terms of postseason awards. Gallinari has never been a fulltime bench player in his career, so it should be interesting to see how he transitions to the new role. There is nothing about his offensive skill set that suggests he’ll do anything but excel here, especially given the way the Hawks’ pacey offensive system can boost numbers.

Gallo at +700 still stands out as a solid value bet. Not every team has starting-caliber players coming off the bench, which gives Gallinari an edge on much of the field.

Lou Williams (+400)

We’d be remiss if we did a Sixth Man of the Year article without mentioning the man himself, Lou Williams. Williams has finished top-three in Sixth Man voting in each of the last four years, and he’s won it twice in that span. He finished second behind Harrell last season in a vote that could have legitimately gone either way.

The likelihood of Williams reclaiming his title gets a boost with Harrell having moved across the hall. While the Clippers have added guys like Serge Ibaka and Luke Kennard to the mix this winter, it would be quite a surprise if Lou didn’t spearhead the second unit yet again this season.

He’s not getting any younger, but Williams just finds a way to keep putting up big numbers. His scoring average predictably dipped last year after Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joined the team, but he should continue to dominate the ball when one or both of the Clips’ stars are on the bench.

Williams’ role is unlikely to change in spite of the Clippers’ switch from Doc Rivers to Ty Lue, so getting him at +400 looks outstanding. Assuming he doesn’t suddenly suffer some sort of rapid age-related decline, Williams’ Sixth Man odds will likely only dip in value from here. Take advantage of the +400 odds while you still can.