Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid claimed last year's NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, besting Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk by 10 total points in votes. And it's a sign that voters might have changed their process regarding this award.
The 6MOY award has gone to a bucket-getting reserve on a good team for years. Over the last 15 seasons, the winner of this award has averaged 17.4 points per game on a team that averaged 52.1 wins.
During that span, Reid's 13.5 points per game was the lowest-scoring average among all winners. He and Malcolm Brogdon (2022-23 6MOY) are the only two players to average below 15 points per game since 2009-10.
But Reid and Brogdon played on top teams when they won their award. The Timberwolves won 56 games last year, while the Celtics posted 57 wins in the previous season. The last four players to win 6MOY have been on a team that won 52-plus games.