Mavericks' gritty fan favorites will sneakily hijack NBA's Sixth Man of the Year race

With Cooper Flagg coming to town, the Dallas Mavericks' starting five is expected to take a major shift, with multiple new players joining the starting unit to start the season while Kyrie Irving is sidelined. Mavericks fans can expect D'Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II to be the likely starters on opening night, meaning that P.J. Washington could become a bench player out of the gates after being a starter for his entire Mavs tenure.

Washington moving to the bench would immediately make him a Sixth Man of the Year favorite, and if he does indeed come off the bench, he and Daniel Gafford are bound to both be in the hunt for this prestigious award.

Although Gafford has spent significant time as the Mavs' starting center, it seems most likely that he'll be the bench big behind Lively II, who projects to be a future franchise cornerstone if he can stay healthy and continues to develop his game.

Washington and Gafford could redefine the Sixth Man of the Year race

When observing Gafford's 2024-25 season, it's easy to see just how much he improved over the offseason, and it paid dividends for him on the floor. Gafford averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 70.2 percent from the field. His post moves and scoring touch around the rim continue to improve, and his offseason focus on putting on muscle was evident.

Gafford easily had one of the best seasons of his career last season, and with him likely set to play behind Lively II and Davis next season, they are going to need him to continue his high level of play on both ends of the floor. When both Davis and Lively II are on the bench, he and Washington will need to ignite energy into the crowd and the rest of the team, and they have excelled in doing that ever since they arrived in Dallas.

A Gafford offensive rebound and dunk or Washington dive for a loose ball have been plays that Mavs fans appreciate just as much as anything, and with Irving being out for a large chunk of the season, everyone is going to need to be at the top of their game to help make up for that catastrophic loss.

Gafford and Washington will have the chance to show the world that they are two of the best bench players in the NBA, and quite frankly, they could start on many other teams across the league. The only reason that they are coming off the bench is because of the immense frontcourt depth Dallas possesses, and this team should be ready to dominate with size.

Although the Sixth Man of the Year seemingly always goes to a score-first guard, Washington and Gafford are poised to change the narrative around this award, especially if one of them has a breakout year.

In Washington's case, he may not have the impressive 20-points-per-game stat line that an offensive initiator off the bench sometimes has, but his value and what he brings to the floor will be just as influential as any bench player in the NBA. He brings versatility, hard-nosed defense, physicality, tenacity, and 3-point shooting to the floor every game, and with the Mavs' tendency to sometimes go small at the end of games, he is poised to play heavy minutes, regardless of whether he is in the starting lineup or not.

Washington has never shied away from big moments as a Maverick, with his most notable moments coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA Playoffs and multiple regular-season games. He is widely known as OKC's kryptonite due to his 3-point shooting in that second-round series against the No. 1-seeded Thunder, and he became a Mavericks folk hero from that moment forward.

For Gafford, he too is poised to play a ton, as he and Lively II's minutes per game when they are both healthy is often almost split down the middle. Combine this fact with Lively II's injury history over the last two seasons, and Gafford may also find himself being more impactful than anyone realizes.

His rim protection, scoring around the rim, and energy have been driving forces for the Mavericks ever since the Washington Wizards decided to trade him to Dallas, and he and Washington have the chance to change fans' and the league's minds about what type of players should win Sixth Man of the Year.

If the Mavericks end up shocking the world and are a top seed by the time the playoffs roll around, Washington and Gafford will likely have played a major part in that, and fans should prepare for their race to win one of the most prestigious awards that a role player can win.