Will Jordan Poole Sixth Man of the Year Award Happen in 2022-2023?
Jordan Poole’s coming off a career season and he’s set to come off the bench next season, so will Jordan Poole Sixth Man of the Year happen in 2022-2023?
Will Jordan Poole take home the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2022-2023?
After finishing in fourth place for the Most Improved Player Award last season, Jordan Poole is set to be in contention for another award next season.
With Klay Thompson heading into next season fully healthy, Jordan Poole Sixth Man of the Year is coming off the bench for the Golden State Warriors. Because of that, Poole has the second-best odds at +600 to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award going into the 2022-2023 season.
What Does Next Season Hold?
Poole started 51 games for the Warriors last season since Thompson was rehabbing from a torn Achilles, so there was no way he was going to be eligible for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. However, with Thompson back, Jordan Poole Sixth Man of the Year has a great opportunity to dominate off the bench.
In the 17 games that Poole came off the bench in the playoffs, he averaged 15.8 points on 49.5% shooting and 36.1% from three. Poole should benefit from knowing that he will be the sixth man off the bench because his roles varied last season.
There were times where he was moved in and out of the starting lineup and that can tend to throw off a players mindset. I’m sure Poole will start a handful of games this year, but Tyler Herro, who won the award last year, started 10 games last season.
Poole’s production off the bench could even improve if second-year players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody take the next step in their development.
The path to Jordan Poole Sixth Man of the Year Award is a plausible and pretty easy one to follow, but someone in South Beach may be a roadblock in his path.
Poole’s Competition
Currently, Poole’s competition for the award is really just Herro. Jordan Clarkson has the third-best odds at +1200, but it remains to be seen where he’ll be next season or what his role will be since the Utah Jazz look to be rebuilding.
However, it doesn’t appear as though Herro’s role will be different. Now that could change if he was traded, which has been rumored, but the odds of that happening aren’t as likely as they were a couple of weeks ago.
In Herro’s Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season, he averaged 20.7 points, five rebounds and four assists per game on 44.7% shooting from the floor and 40% from three.
There is a chance that Herro’s production could take a dip with guard Victor Oladipo re-signing with the Heat after showing signs of his former self in the playoffs. Herro’s production won’t fall off a cliff of course, but it could be a difference maker in the Sixth Man of the Year race.
If Herro were to win the award next season, he would join Kevin Mchale, Detlef Schrempf and Lou Williams as the only players to win the honor in back-to-back seasons.
All signs point to a close race for the Sixth Man of the Year Award next year and with Poole having command of the Warriors’ bench unit, he’ll be a favorite to win the award for the first time.
