NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Austin Reaves shoots up the board

The Dallas Mavericks dominated both their games over the past week. First, Dallas destroyed the Utah Jazz by 50 points in a total onslaught.

Two days later, the shorthanded Mavericks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by 13 points. Unfortunately for the Mavs, near catastrophe struck. Star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a foot injury as a result of friendly fire.

Although the injury appeared potentially significant, it was deemed to be only a heel contusion. And according to Irving, he'll be back soon.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Austin Reaves shoots up the board

Already without Josh Green, the Mavericks are suddenly thin at guard. Tim Hardaway Jr., who has been the third-best scorer on the team, will likely have an elevated role in the coming days.

With this in mind, Hardaway Jr.'s future endeavors will likely be amplified, thus prompting a rise in the power rankings. But for now, Hardaway Jr.'s spot is solidified within the top five. Find out where Hardaway Jr. ranks and what player went from five to two in a matter of seven days.

10. Tre Jones

Last week's rank: N/A

The San Antonio Spurs floor general enters the rankings after multiple well-rounded showings. The younger Jones brother leads all Spurs in assists, at 5.2 per game.

9. Naz Reid

Last week's rank: N/A

Despite playing behind two All-Star big men, Naz Reid averages 12.6 points in just 21.6 minutes per game. The Minnesota big man is a superb all-around scorer.

8. Moritz Wagner

Last week's rank: 7

Although Moritz Wager dropped four points Friday night, he still hasn't shot below 50 percent since November 15th. Wagner is shooting an astounding 63.3 percent from the floor this season while shooting 1.6 3-pointers per game.

7. Bogdan Bogdanovic

Last week's rank: 6

Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the most reliable players in the league. The Hawks wing has scored double-digits and knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 17 straight contests.

6. Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Last week's rank: 8

Despite being a rookie, Jaime Jaquez Jr. plays like a veteran. The Heat forward was born to play for Miami. Jaquez Jr.'s game is a tad reminiscent of Heat star Jimmy Butler. He doesn't need to hoist threes to score 15-plus points.

5. Immanuel Quickley

Last week's rank: 2

After spending multiple weeks at the top of the rankings, Immanuel Quickley has now dropped to five. Quickley still holds averages of 15.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, but his efficiency has dipped.

The New York guard is shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from downtown. Although the sample size is small, Quickley is shooting only 34.8 percent from the field in December. He's had back-to-back shooting performances of 40 percent or worse.

If Quickley doesn't shoot the ball well, he struggles to provide in other facets of the game. Over the past week, the former Wildcat had added only one rebound, four assists, and one steal in 44 minutes of action.

While Quickley's counting stats are easy to nitpick, he's still a superb contributor as far as advanced analytics go.

Despite a 10-point loss on Friday night, Quickley led all Knicks with a plus/minus of plus-15. He was one of two Knicks to record a positive plus/minus.

On the season, he ranks top 75 in offensive box plus/minus, win shares, box plus/minus, and value over replacement player, or VORP for short.

A slight drop in ranking isn't quite indicative of what's to come for Quickley, but the race for the best bench player is certainly heating up. The top players are performing quite well, and players like Jaquez Jr. and Bogdanovic are just on the horizon.

4. Malik Monk

Last week's rank: 4

Malik Monk has been on a tear as of late. Although not enough to shoot up the rankings, Monk is breathing down number three's neck.

Over the past week, Monk put up 21, then 13 points. And even better, Monk has played with fantastic efficiency. He shot 50 percent in both games, while also knocking down 8-of-16 3-point attempts.

The Sacramento guard has been putting up a bevy of points, efficiently. Something he hasn't done much of in his career. He's still just shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, but his 3-point percentage is up to 42.4 percent.

Besides his scoring output, Monk is passing the ball excellently. He's third on the Kings in both assists per game and assist percentage. On a per-36-minute basis, Monk ranks in the top 30 in the NBA in assists per game.

Monk is adding tremendous value to the Kings in multiple facets of the game. His on-off splits are telling of the Kings' successes, especially on offense.

The Kings' offensive rating is nearly seven points better with Monk on the floor. Additionally, Sacramento plays with more efficiency. The Kings shoot it better and turn the ball over less often when Monk is on the court.

A promotion in these rankings wouldn't be too far-fetched for Monk. If improvements in defense or further improvement in efficiency metrics occur, Monk's Sixth Man of the Year hopes will only increase.

3. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Last week's rank: 3

Tim Hardaway Jr. had a very good week as the Mavericks blew out two rebuilding squads, the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Against the Jazz, Hardaway Jr. complied 17 points and four rebounds. Two nights later in Portland, Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points and grabbed four boards. In 37 minutes of action, he ranked second on the team in plus/minus at plus-15.

In those two contests, Hardaway Jr. did what he does best. He knocked down eight 3-pointers at a 38 percent clip. On the season, the Dallas guard is knocking down 3.5 trey-balls per game at a 38.4 percent clip.

Hardaway Jr. ranks fifth in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game. He's the only bench player to rank in the top 10. The former Wolverine has been excelling in his role as a full-time bench player. Leading the league in bench points per game, Hardaway Jr. has fully embraced his sixth-man role.

The Dallas guard exemplifies what the Sixth Man Award has been in the past. A shot-hunting gunner, who ranks as the second or third-best scorer on the team. Although the award was given to more of an all-around talent a season ago, Hardaway Jr. still has a good shot to win the honor.

His defense has been poor, but Hardaway Jr. does provide a very unique skill. Hardaway Jr. has drawn 11 charges this year, good for third in the entire league. Oddly enough, Hardaway Jr. has racked up more charges this year than steals.

Despite his propensity to take charges, Hardaway Jr. doesn't provide much else on the less glamorous end. He ranks second to last in the NBA in defensive box plus/minus.

2. Austin Reaves

Last week's rank: 5

Coming off the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Championship, Austin Reaves now ranks second in these power rankings.

Saturday night, in the Championship, Reaves put up 28 points, two rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes of action. Reaves knocked down nine of his 15 attempts and got to the free throw line 12 times, making 10.

The move to the bench has done wonders for Reaves. The Lakers guard started the first eight games of the season before moving to the second unit. And while he's playing less minutes, he's making the most of his time.

Off the pine, Reaves has upped both his counting stats and his shooting percentages. As a reserve, Reaves plus/minus is plus-7.3. If Reaves' starts were discounted, he'd rank seventh in the association in plus/minus.

The well-versed Lakers guard has taken advantage of his new role. Before his two-assist showing in the In-Season Tournament Championship, Reaves had recorded seven assists in the Semi-Final game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Reaves is an integral part of the Lakers, and probably the third-best player on the roster. He's top five on the team in points, rebounds, assists, field goals, 3-pointers, and steals.

The Los Angeles guard looks like a mainstay in the top five. His placement is stable due to a combination of offense, defense, and his vitalness to the Lakers' success.

1. Cole Anthony

Last week's rank: 1

Back-to-back weeks at number one for the Orlando Magic's Cole Anthony. Over the past week, Anthony put up fantastic numbers in a loss and a win.

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Anthony scored 19 points on 57.1 percent shooting. He also added seven boards, two assists, a steal, and two blocks. Despite being a 6-foot-2 guard, Anthony led the Magic in rebounds in that affair.

On Friday, against the lowly Detroit Pistons, Anthony notched 16 points to go along with three boards and six assists. After leading the Magic in rebounds two days prior, the Orlando guard led the Magic in assists against Detroit.

These back-to-back performances demonstrate Anthony's versatility. He's been lighting up the scoring column as of late, but his contributions in other facets are quite the boon.

In 26.0 minutes per game, Anthony averages 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Although both these numbers are career lows, he's performing on a much-improved squad.

Even though Anthony's stats have declined, his efficiency has skyrocketed in recent years. The former Tar Heel is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc. And although he's always been a good free throw shooter, he's once again shooting near 85 percent from the charity stripe.

Playing for the Magic hasn't been anything to write home about in recent years, but this season is different. Orlando is second in the Eastern Conference, and Anthony's play has been a major revelation for the Magic bench.