Which player most deserves the title of the best bench player in the league?
The race for the prestigious Sixth Man of the Year award is essentially down to two players. Thankfully for Rockets fans, both of these players are on the team. One of the two of the off-the-bench powerhouses Eric Gordon and Lou Williams will likely be taking home the hardware at the 2017 NBA Awards show on June 26 at 8 p.m. The candidate is Andre Iguodala, and though he played a pivotal role in the Warriors success, the award will likely fall to one of the candidates of the Rockets. So which one of the two Rockets deserve the Sixth Man of the Year award more?
The case for Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon‘s case for the Sixth Man of the Year award is probably the better of the two. He was with the Rockets the entire year and was their second-best player for the majority of it. Gordon shot lights out this season, becoming the first player ever to make 200 3-pointers off the bench. For the first half of the year, Gordon shot in the mid-40% from beyond the arc and was the main reason the Rockets had such a strong bench. While he cooled off and finished the year shooting 37% from three, he still was the primary leader of the second unit. Beyond his excellent shooting, he played much-improved defense and stayed healthy the majority of the year. His first season in Houston was definitely a good one, and we will if it ends with the award.
Related Story: Eric Gordon Season Recap
The case for Lou Williams
Lou William’s case for the Sixth Man of the Year award is based on his statistical output. Sweet Lou had the best numbers out of the three finalists and was explosive off the bench. Because of how good he was in the first half of the year, the Rockets took a chance on him at the trade deadline. This deal worked out pretty well for the team. Overall for the year, Lou Williams averaged 17.5 points and 3 assists per game. He has the ability to explode for huge games and showed that in Los Angeles and Houston this season. Not being with the same team all year hurts his case, but there are still experts out there who think Lou Williams will take home the award.
Related Story: Lou Williams Season Recap
So who do you think will win the award on June 26? Be sure to comment below your opinion or tweet us @SpaceCity_Scoop on Twitter.
Let us know! Who would you pick for 6MOY?
— Space City Scoop (@SpaceCity_Scoop) June 18, 2017