Is Young Next Sixth Man of the Year?

Nick Young, aka Swaggy P, aka Daddy Swag, was one of the few bright spots for the Lakers last season. His confidence, character and overall style of play was not only fun to watch, but it also added a positive impact to a team that didn’t have much to celebrate. Now that he has been rewarded for his contributions with the long-term contract he desired, Laker fans are hoping for Young to continue his electrifying play off the bench for the upcoming year. When looking at the numbers Young produced last season, it is not out of the question he has the potential to be rewarded this year with the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

When looking at last season’s Sixth Man of the Year winner Jamal Crawford, and comparing his stats with Young’s, it is noticeable that the two had similar numbers. Over 69 games, Crawford averaged 18.6 PTS, shot 42% from the field and 36% from three-point range. Over 64 games, Young was able to average 17.9 PTS, shoot 44% from the field and 39% from behind the arc. Per every one hundred possessions Crawford was good for 30.6 points, while Young was good for 30.7 points in the same category.

If we compare Young with the 2012-2013 Sixth Man of the Year winner J.R. Smith, we will once again observe similar numbers between the two players. Over 80 games, Smith averaged 18.1 PTS, 42% from the field, 36% from three and 28.9 PTS per one hundred possessions. Even when James Harden won the award with the Oklahoma City Thunder during 2011-2012, Harden averaged fewer points than Young (16.8) while equally shooting 39% from long range.

There’s no doubt Young has the talent to win the award, but Crawford, Smith and Harden all played on teams that made the playoffs the same year they were honored with the Sixth Man trophy. Though the Western Conference is highly competitive, it is possible a healthy Lakers team will find a surge under the new changes made for the upcoming year and possibly sneak into a playoff spot. If so, it will not be surprising to see Young crowned as the new Sixth Man of the Year.