NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Austin Reaves shoots up the board
By Austin McGee
![Nov 25, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. Nov 25, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4153,h_2336,x_0,y_54/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/83/01hhasdaf4dpzvdywe9p.jpg)
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.
manual