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The 2021-22 NBA season begins October 19, with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks kicking off the festivities in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Nets made a big addition this offseason with Patty Mills, who is among the contenders for Sixth Man of the Year. Here’s a look at everyone in the mix for the league’s top player off the bench.
Sixth Man of the Year 2021-22 odds
The favorite: Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz (+500)
Clarkson is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year and is the favorite to win it again in 2021-22. He’s the top player off the bench for the Utah Jazz, who are going to be one of the top teams in the West. After being thrown into fluid roles in his previous stops, Clarkson has finally found a great situation for him on a contending team.
Other contenders
Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks: +1200
Huerter is a bit high on this list given his capability to eventually jump into Atlanta’s starting lineup, but he’ll be a potent force off the bench. The Hawks should have a good bench this season and are deep at multiple positions, which means Huerter might not be a great betting option for this award.
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz: +1200
Ingles was a finalist for this honor last season, losing out to his teammate Clarkson. Both players are going to be important for Utah, but Ingles is in the tough position here of having to beat out his teammate for production. It’s hard to back him ahead of Clarkson for this award.
Patty Mills, Brooklyn Nets: +1400
Mills is going to be trusted to deliver big minutes off the bench, but could be put into the starting lineup given Kyrie Irving and James Harden’s history with injuries. The value is there at +1400 as Mills will be in a bench role on a contending team. There’s no clear threats to his production on Brooklyn’s second unit. so he could be a trendy pick for this award.
Best bet: Jordan Clarkson (+500)
Similar to picking Cade Cunningham to win Rookie of the Year, there’s no fun in taking the favorite. However, voters tend to get lazy with this honor and just hand it to the guy who’s on a good team and producing well off the bench. Clarkson is going to fit the bill and he’s a familiar name after winning the award last year. He doesn’t even have to match last year’s numbers to be in the running; he just has to avoid being completely awful. Go look up Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford’s numbers during some of the years they won. Clarkson is the pick here.
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