NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Where does Mavs' Tim Hardaway Jr. land?

After a disappointing loss in Milwaukee last night, the Dallas Mavericks will look to bounce back tonight against the Sacramento Kings.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving continue to dominate offensively, and Tim Hardaway Jr. has been excellent off the bench, cementing himself as a Sixth Man of the Year candidat.

The NBA Sixth Man of the Year race is off to a torrid start. Plenty of candidates have asserted themselves in the race for the best bench player.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Where does Mavs' Tim Hardaway Jr. land?

However, some players have seemingly disqualified themselves from the running due to a promotion into a starting gig. Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas parlayed a 36-point outing on the opening night into a solidified role as the starting two-guard.

On the flip side, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves began the season as a starter, before moving to the bench for the previous five outings. On the bench, he's averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.

While both the aforementioned players have played particularly well off the bench, we'll focus on players who will surely qualify for the Sixth Man of the Year requirements.

A player must come off the bench in more games than they start and new to this season, a player must compete in at least 65 games to qualify for any award across the board.

Before diving into the power rankings, we'll give nods to the players who just missed the cut, the honorable mentions.

Minnesota Timberwolves big man, Naz Reid, has developed into a fantastic player. After coming into the association as an undrafted free agent, Reid has since averaged double-digit points three times in five seasons and signed a lucrative $42 million contract.

This season, Reid is averaging 13.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in only 21.5 minutes of action. He's putting up such a stat line on superb efficiency. The Wolves big man is knocking down 54.2 percent of his field goals and 44.4 percent of his triples.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon has been playing quite well this season. In eight games, he's averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. However, Brogdon has made three starts and missed four games due to injury.

Norman Powell is off to a scorching start, leading the Clippers' second unit. While another player may soon get some love, Powell is leading the Clippers in bench points per game. He's averaging 12.5 points per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 44.9 percent from distance.

Now, we'll dive into the top five candidates who are most likely to take home the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

5. Chris Paul

This 38-year-old point guard has played in 1227 games across his nearly two-decade career. And despite such a long career, he's only come off the bench in nine games.

Chris Paul has bought into his new role on the Golden State Warriors. After orchestrating numerous offenses over the years, he's taken a step back to orchestrate the second unit.

And thus far, the results have been promising. Paul is averaging 9.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. If Paul were to bring home the award, he'd be the oldest player to win. Additionally, he'd be the only recipient ever to average more than seven assists per game.

While Paul's counting stats pass the eye test, his efficiency leaves much to be desired. He's shooting a career-low from the field and from beyond the arc. The veteran guard is shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and a ghastly 26.1 percent from downtown.

Paul's effective field goal percentage is near the bottom of the league at 43.6 percent. He's having a rough year shooting the ball, yet he's still contributing in other ways.

The "Point God" ranks 7th in the league in assists percentage and takes good care of the ball like he always does. He's averaging just 1.3 turnovers per game, a career-low.

And despite being the third oldest player in the NBA, his defense is still superb. Paul is 14th in steal percentage and top 30 in defensive box plus/minus.

If Paul ups his shooting percentages, he might rank near the top in these power rankings. Nevertheless, he's still demonstrating he has a lot left in the tank, especially as a passer and pesky defender.

4. Malik Monk

Malik Monk has found his home with the Sacramento Kings. After a quality year a season ago, he's outperforming his first season in Sactown.

Last season, Monk averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He did so while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.

This season, only his field goal percentage dropped. Every other stat is up from a season ago. Thus far, the Kings' guard is averaging 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.

No longer is Monk the microwave scorer who shoots it every time he touches the ball. He's developed into a playmaker who looks to help others score as often as he does himself. Monk's assist percentage ranks 8th in the association, one spot below the aforementioned "Point God," Chris Paul.

He's also turned a new leaf when it comes to efficiency. Monk is shooting the highest percentage of threes in his career. Yet, his 39.4 percent clip is the second highest he's ever shot it from a distance.

For just the third time in his career and the second season in a row, his team is better with him on the court than off it. Monk has found his niche in the league. He's a well-balanced scorer who's capable of leading the second unit and equally as capable of closing the game with members of the starting five.

3. Caris LeVert

One of the more underrated players in the league year in and year out, is Caris LeVert. While LeVert is not typically mentioned in the Sixth Man of the Year competition, it's likely because he's been a spotstarter for the majority of his career.

This season, it's looking like LeVert's bench role is solidified. Even if his role coming off the bench equates to 33 minutes per ball game, six more per game than the next highest player on the list, he's still starting the game on the sidelines.

Playing for the Cavaliers, LeVert has had to consistently shift his playstyle. Whether it be manning the second unit or playing alongside ball-dominant guards, Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland, LeVert has admirably filled his role.

He's shooting the three-ball the most in his career, but he's also scoring by his preferred method, getting to the rim. LeVert is tied for 15th in drives per game and leads all bench players in this category.

He does a fantastic job of breaking the defense down and scoring within 10 feet or dishing to the open man. LeVert averages 3.8 assists per game while only turning it over 1.3 times per game.

LeVert ranks 16th in turnover percentage. And of the top 16 players in the category, he ranks third in minutes played. LeVert's impact goes beyond individual contributions. He's an important figure in the Cavs' successes.

The Cavs offense is far superior with the Michigan product on the floor. When LeVert is on the floor, the Cavs' offensive rating sits at 116.2. And when he's off, it drops 12.2 points to 104.0.

LeVert is a key cog in the Cleveland rotation and a necessary component to have on the court when either Mitchell or Garland sits.

2. Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks gunner finds himself at the two spot in these power rankings. Despite a full offseason of uncertainty, Hardaway Jr. has cemented himself as the third-best player on the Mavericks roster.

Hardaway Jr. is averaging a career-high 18.7 points per game in age-31 season. Although Hardaway Jr. and above-average efficiency aren't typically used in the same sentence, his 3-point efficiency is far above average.

The league average 3-point percentage is 35.9 percent. Thus far, Hardaway Jr. is knocking down 3-pointers at a career-high 40.4 percent.

Furthermore, Hardaway Jr.'s true shooting and effective field goal percentages are above league average. The former Wolverine still believes every shot he shoots is a good shot, but this season there's more truth to that than ever before.

Hardaway Jr. has prioritized the three-ball this season and it's paid dividends. Nearly 66 percent of his looks are coming from behind the arc. He's shooting and making a career-high per game. Hardaway Jr. is hoisting 9.3 threes and making 3.8 of them per contest.

Only two players are making more threes per game than Hardaway Jr. The best shooter of all time, Steph Curry, and his generationally talented teammate, Luka Doncic.

While Hardaway Jr.'s lack of other contributions might be worrisome, he's sticking to his role and playing it exceptionally.

1. Immanuel Quickley

First on the list comes former Kentucky Wildcat, Immanuel Quickley. Quickley isn't averaging the most points, rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks per game among other players on the list, but he's making a huge impact for the Knicks.

Quickley holds averages of 16.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. His counting stats look great for a bench player, yet his advanced statistics look even better.

Quickley ranks top 40 in player efficiency rating, assist percentage, offensive win shares, box plus/minus, total win shares, and VORP, value over replacement player.

Despite no defensive statistics listed above, he also holds up defensively. Quickley ranks top 60 in defensive box plus/minus and defensive win shares. While the Knicks guard only stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 190, he defends with ferocity.

The former Wildcat is not the typical small tweener guard who specializes in a role off the bench. He's an efficient scorer, a great decision-maker, and a standout defender.

Watching Quickley in action is the easiest way to recognize his defensive brilliance. He uses his quickness to stay in front of his man and performs exceptionally well in isolation.

Known more for his offense, Quickley is still putting on a show in limited minutes, 25.5 minutes per game. His true shooting percentage is above 60 percent and he ranks 13th in the entire league in offensive rating.

As of now, Quickley is the frontrunner for the Sixth Man of the Year. His overall contributions trump just about every player on the list. And his value directly correlates with winning.