NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Major shakeup rocks this week's rankings

The Dallas Mavericks lost both their games this weekend, against the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively.

Against Memphis, Dallas was without Luka Doncic. And to make matters worse, Kyrie Irving was slowed by a foot injury he suffered in the first quarter. Saturday night, Doncic came back, but Irving was sidelined in the affair.

After the birth of his daughter, Doncic performed magnificently against the Thunder. The superstar guard nearly led in an incredible comeback to defeat Oklahoma City. He dropped 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 18 assists.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Major shakeup rocks this week's rankings

Alongside Doncic, rookie center Dereck Lively II made history. He became the first player in NBA history to record 20 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks and shoot 100 percent from the floor.

The Mavericks Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Tim Hardaway Jr., was noticeably absent this weekend as he dealt with back spasms. The Dallas gunslinger was sorely missed, as another shotmaker present may have led to at least one Dallas victory.

Despite Hardaway Jr. only appearing in one game this past week, his ranking stayed relatively the same.

The rest of the power rankings received a considerable shakeup this time around. Two unranked players are now in the race and a previously lower-ranked player has risen to the top as his team has outperformed expectations.

10. Russell Westbrook

Last week's rank: 7

The 16-year veteran continues to affect all aspects of the game. However, his poor shooting and below-average on/off splits drop him the rankings.

9. Caris LeVert

Last week's rank: 3

A rough week for Caris LeVert constitutes a steep drop. Over the last week, the Cavs guard averaged only 7.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

8. Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Last week's rank: N/A

The Miami Heat rookie is on the rise with a lot of ground to make up. After beginning the season as a limited contributor, he's now zeroing in on two separate awards. He averaged 16.3 points per game over the past week, coming off the bench in each affair.

7. Moritz Wagner

Last week's rank: N/A

A second straight new addition to these rankings, Magic big Moritz Wagner has scored in double-digits in nine straight games. He's doing so on 63.3 percent shooting, by far and away a career-high.

6. Bogdan Bogdanovic

Last week's rank: 8

Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has epitomized consistency as of late. He's good for about 15 points, three rebounds, two steals, and two 3-pointers per game off the bench for Atlanta.

5. Austin Reaves

Last week's rank: 5

Over the last week, Lakers guard Austin Reaves hasn't wowed with his playmaking like he did throughout November. After recording four or more assists for 11 straight games, Reaves only recorded four assists once over the past four games.

Even though the young guard has lacked in the passing department, he still averages 4.7 assists per game over the season. Other than his passing stats, Reaves puts up 13.7 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds per night.

His production has improved once he moved to the bench. In less action per game, Reaves averages more points and assists per game as a reserve. Additionally, his shooting splits are up.

As a starter, Reaves only shot 41.6 percent from the floor and 27.8 percent from three. Off the pine, he's shooting 50 percent from the floor and 34 percent from downtown. Reaves has also upped his free throw percentage by nearly seven percentage points.

The move to the bench has done wonders for Reaves' game. And perhaps most importantly, the Lakers have also improved with Reaves as a reserve. In his 13 appearances off the bench, Los Angeles is 9-4. With Reaves in the opening unit, the Lakers began the season 3-5.

Additional improvement is imminent for the Lakers guard. He's proved to be a valuable contributor off the bench thus far. After such a promising year a season ago, his game has stymied a bit. But an increase in 3-point accuracy may be just what Reaves needs to step it up.

4. Malik Monk

Last week's rank: 6

At this point, Malik Monk is more like a 3B, rather than a solid number 4. He's had a great year, but last week demonstrated his full potential. His improved passing chops have been frequently discussed in these articles, but his scoring took a huge step forward in the last week.

Over the past week, Monk has averaged 20.7 points per game. Increasing his season average to 14.4 points per game on the year, which would be a career-high for Monk.

The Kings' guard plays a large part in the team's successes. When Monk is off the court, the Kings register a 112.4 offensive rating. However, when Monk is on the court, the offensive rating bumps up to a 118.0 rating.

Despite a historic offensive a season ago, the Kings are more of a middling unit this season. Sacramento ranks 13th in the NBA in offensive rating at 114.2. However, sub-in Monk and the Kings would rank third in the association.

Monk is a crucial part of the Kings' roster. He averages the third most points and assists per game on the Kings. And in all three of the most recent Sacramento victories, Monk has recorded a plus/minus of 11 or more.

Furthermore, in wins, Monk averages nearly five more points per game. He also shoots four percentage points better from the floor and from three in victories.

Look for Monk's spot in these rankings to rarely fluctuate. Nevertheless, if he continues to increase his scoring average while piloting the second unit, his rank may improve.

3. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Last week's rank: 2

Tim Hardaway Jr. is still the leader in bench points per game. But, he has seen a decline in play as of late. Also, the veteran guard missed half of last week with back spasms. Thus, a slight drop in ranking occurred.

In a brief October, Hardaway Jr. averaged 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds on a +14.8 plus/minus. In November, his numbers normalized to 16.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and a -1.9 plus/minus.

The volume-shooting wing has cooled off in recent weeks from a scorching start. He hasn't shot above 50 percent from the field since November 15th. Although Hardaway Jr. tends to demonstrate more accuracy from behind the arc, his efficiency his tied to his three ball.

Hardaway Jr. is shooting 65.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc this season, a career-high. And this change in playstyle is helping the Dallas swingman. He's averaging the most points per game since the 2019 season. Albeit, in fewer minutes per game as a full-time reserve.

The 11-year pro is averaging 21.9 points per 36 minutes, the best mark of his career. The full-time move to the bench has revived some of Hardaway Jr.'s lost value. Furthermore, a bench spot does seem like the ideal fit for the unbashful gunslinger.

Amongst all players in the NBA, Hardaway Jr. ranks fifth in 3-pointers made per game. He's the only bench player in the top 10. Hardaway Jr.'s offense is a boon for Dallas, and his ranking will likely be predicated on his shooting ability.

However, his defense is extremely poor. He does some good, like drawing charges, but his defensive rating ranks in the bottom 13th percentile of the NBA.

2. Immanuel Quickley

Last week's rank: 1

The New York Knicks guard drops one spot in this week's rankings. His play slightly dipped this past week, but it's more about the ascent of the top player than anything.

On the season, Immanuel Quickley averages 15.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He's averaging more points per game than ever, but his percentages have taken a bit of a toll. He's shooting lower from the floor and three than a season ago.

Over the past week, Quickley has had two good games mixed in with two poor games. To kick the week off, the New York guard scored 18, then 23 points. But throughout his next two games, he scored a combined 15 points in two wins.

Despite consecutive poor outings from Quickley, the Knicks still came away victorious. His value is still immense to the team, but the Knicks can maintain without an on-night from their best bench player.

Nonetheless, Quickley's on-off splits are quite the spectacle. As a team, New York is better across almost every statistic when Quickley is on the floor. The Knicks offense is far superior with the former Wildcat on the court, but for whatever reason, stats such as rebounding percentage also increase when Quickley is on the floor.

Even more endearing in Quickley's case, the Knicks' opponents are considerably worse when the New York guard is on the floor. While his counting stats might not be the most glamorous, his impact is difficult to ignore.

1. Cole Anthony

Last week's rank: 9

The new number one, Cole Anthony, has shown he's more than deserving of this spot. Also before Anthony's numbers are discussed in detail, a quick shoutout to HoopsHype for unearthing Anthony's fantastic play.

Part of the NBA's highest-scoring bench, the Orlando swingman has truly showed out this season. Anthony averages 15.2 points of the Magic's 47.3 points per game.

The fourth-year guard is built for this role. His high-volume shooting mentality along with his electric athleticism has spearheaded a Sixth Man of the Year campaign.

Anthony's ascent has also coincided with his team's drastic rise. After finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference a season ago, the Magic are currently tied for the second-best record in the NBA.

Anthony is third on the Magic in points, fifth in rebounds, and third in assists. Over the past week, the Magic guard has gone for 30, 25, 4, and 20 points. Additionally, the Orlando swingman has recorded more than five rebounds three times and five assists twice in the past week.

Unlike Quickley, the Magic don't tend to be quite as good when Anthony's on the court versus when he's off. However, his advanced analytics point to an extremely positive impact on defense.

Anthony ranks top-75 in all the NBA in defensive win shares, defensive box plus/minus, rebound percentage, and block percentage. Once known has a gunner, the young guard has transformed into an all-around player, capable of playing lockdown defense.

Although Anthony's ascent was sudden, his spot is well-deserved. His battle with Quickley and even Hardaway Jr. will be enjoyable to watch. But for now, Anthony's spot feels relatively safe as long as the Magic continue their winning ways.