NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Austin Reaves holds onto No. 1 spot

The Dallas Mavericks are riding hot off a big victory over the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Night. Although the lineup is in flux, the Mavericks have continued to defeat the Suns under any circumstances.

Dallas defeated Phoenix by 14 points, behind Luka Doncic's 50-point performance. Aside from Doncic's heroics, Dereck Lively II, Derrick Jones Jr., and Tim Hardaway Jr. all showed out.

Each of the three Dallas role players notched 18 or more points and recorded plus/minuses of plus-10 or more. After a tough stretch of games, this win against the Suns will likely right the ship.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Power Rankings: Austin Reaves holds onto No. 1 spot

Lively II played his first game in nine days, and his teammates Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber may soon follow. In Irving's absence, look for continued strong efforts from Hardaway Jr., the Mavs' frontrunner in the race for the Sixth Man of the Year. Find out who else is in the running below.

10. Collin Sexton

Last week's rank: 9

The Utah Jazz guard's stats are increasing across the board. However, he's now started the past seven games. As a starter, he's averaged 23.3 points and 4.4 assists per game. Until he moves back to the bench, Collin Sexton will be slotted near the bottom of these rankings.

9. Immanuel Quickley

Last week's rank: 8

Immanuel Quickley has seen a swift drop in these rankings over the past month. Over the past week, Quickley played as well as he has in quite some time. The Knicks guard averaged 16.5 points per game with a 20-point showing on Christmas day.

8. Malik Monk

Last week's rank: 6

Uh oh, the Sacramento Kings guard is yet another faller in these rankings. Although his assists remain consistent, he's struggled to put the ball in the hoop as of late. Now out with a foot injury, the Kings guard must get back on track soon, or else he'll take another tumble.

7. Bobby Portis

Last week's rank: 7

Every other game Bobby Portis seems to dominate. Over the last week, Portis put up 23, 6, 23, then 12. Although his scoring is up and down, he's been rebounding with extreme consistency. The Bucks big man hasn't recorded less than six boards since December 13.

6. Naz Reid

Last week's rank: 5

It's fair to wonder what Naz Reid's stats would look like on a team without two All-Star centers in the starting lineup. Nevertheless, Reid is set for a few poor games here and there. Of the past four games, Reid recorded double-digits in only two of them.

5. Bogdan Bogdanovic

Last week's rank: 4

A rise in the rankings can't come soon enough for the Atlanta Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic. The high-volume scorer continues to light it up. Since the beginning of November, Bogdanovic has scored in double-digits in every game.

In his most recent three outings, the Atlanta sharpshooter averaged 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game after a two-game absence. In those three contests, he also knocked down 12 3-pointers. Bogdanovic has knocked down the fifth most 3-pointers in all of the NBA.

The Hawks have been much better with Bogdanovic on the court. Atlanta is 10.7 points better with the Serbian wing on the floor. While known for his offense, the Hawks also improve on the defensive end when Bogdanovic graces the court.

Bogdanovic leads all bench players in steals per game, averaging 1.4 steals per contest. Across the entire league, the Hawks guard ranks 14th in steals.

Not only does he contribute when it comes to counting stats, but the Hawks guard's presence also leads to an increase in the opponent's turnover percentage and a decrease in effective field goal percentage.

By no fault of his, Bogdanovic's Sixth Man of the Year candidacy isn't getting the same recognition as other candidates. And it's likely due to the poor Atlanta record. But on another note, the Hawks swingman performs far better in losses than wins.

In Atlanta losses, Bogdanovic is averaging 19.8 points on 61.7 percent true shooting. In wins, he averages 14.9 points on 57.9 percent true shooting. While circumstantial, these statistics are a bit concerning for the Serbian guard.

4. Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Last week's rank: N/A

A forgotten inclusion on last week's rankings, Jaime Jaquez Jr. deserves a top-five spot, but he may not be here for long. The Miami Heat rookie has been starting the past few games and excelling in that role.

As a starter, on Christmas Day, Jaquez Jr. recorded a breakthrough performance on a national stage. The former UCLA Bruin scored 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting. He also grabbed 10 boards and notched two steals in a Heat victory.

On the season, Jaquez Jr. averages 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on fantastic shooting splits. He's shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Jaquez Jr.'s numbers aren't all that different as a starter. When he starts, his shooting percentages plummet. He averages two more points per game, but he only shoots 48.8 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from distance.

Off the pine, Jaquez Jr. averages more assists and also shoots it better. He knocks down 52.7 percent of his field goals and 41.9 percent of his trey balls.

It might be only a matter of time before Jaquez Jr. seizes a starting role, but his usefulness off the bench is a huge plus for the Heat. Jaquez Jr. can score at will against defenders due to his unique combination of footwork and physicality.

A lineup consisting of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Jaquez Jr. will certainly limit his touches. Thus a spot off the bench may be the most ideal for the UCLA product. If Jaquez Jr. continues to come off the bench, he could bring home the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

3. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Last week's rank: 3

Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of four players to stay put on this week's Power Rankings. All in all, the Dallas gunslinger had a pretty good week of basketball.

After a poor performance on December 18 against the Denver Nuggets, he bounced back to score 16 or more points in four straight contests.

Hardaway Jr. scored 21, 16, 23, and then 18 over that four-game stretch. He also contributed in other ways besides scoring. The former Wolverine has averaged 4.8 rebounds per game over his last four. His stats besides scoring have held him back in these rankings, but he might be turning a corner.

Although just a slight uptick, Hardaway Jr. recorded 2.6 assists per game over that four-game span. A 0.7 increase above his season average. The Dallas guard is laser-focused on scoring, as he should be, but if further contributions besides points start creeping into his game, look out.

His spot in the lineup leads to a big jump in offense for Dallas. The Mavericks score more and score more efficiently with Hardaway Jr. on the floor. However, Dallas suffers at the defensive with the Michigan product on the court.

As discussed in previous Power Rankings, Hardaway Jr. is far less than stellar on the defensive end of the floor. Dallas completely falters when he's on the court, allowing 10 points more per 100 possessions with Hardaway Jr. on the court.

Despite an apathy for defense, Hardaway Jr. leads the league in charges drawn. He's drawn 19 charges on the year. While he may not be the best at staying in front of his man on the perimeter, he does a great job holding his ground near the restricted area to draw charges.

2. Cole Anthony

Last week's rank: 2

After a few outings of low production, Cole Anthony recorded three straight games of double-digit points and added a double-double for good measure.

On December 20, against the Miami Heat, Anthony scored 20 points and recorded four rebounds and three assists in a losing effort. One night later, against the Milwaukee Bucks, Anthony dropped 18 points to go along with 11 boards and six dimes.

Despite the Orlando Magic losing the affair, Anthony recorded a plus/minus of plus-16. Alongside fellow Sixth Man candidate, Moritz Wagner, Anthony kept the team afloat in a narrow four-point loss.

The North Carolina product brings a well-balanced attack to the Magic. Anthony averages 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on the season. And unlike his first couple of seasons in the league, Anthony is shooting the ball with much-improved accuracy.

On the year, Anthony is shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from behind the arc. He's also draining 83.9 percent of his freebies. His all-around shooting performance has been huge for the Magic bench.

Other than his scoring output, Anthony has stabilized the Orlando bench. Whenever Anthony hits the floor, the Magic turn the ball over three percent less. Although a small change, Anthony ranks in the 97th percentile in turnover percentage difference.

Anthony only averages 1.8 turnovers per game on the season. Despite a high usage rate, especially for a bench player, Anthony infrequently gives the ball away.

1. Austin Reaves

Last week's rank: 1

Still the top player on the Power Rankings, Austin Reaves has continued to ball out off the bench. He played in five games over the last seven days and scored in double digits in every single game.

In the first three, of the five-game stretch, Reaves put up 20, 21, and then 20 points. Over that five-game stretch, Reaves averaged 4.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists. The do-it-all guard excels in all aspects of the game.

Furthermore, Reaves hasn't missed a free throw since December 12th! His shooting percentages continue to trend upwards, beyond the line. The Lakers guard hasn't shot below 40 percent since late November.

His consistency has been unreal and it doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon. Reaves has attempted three or more 3-pointers in every game in December. However, he's never shot less than 25 percent from beyond the arc in any game in the month.

December has easily been Reaves' best month. He's averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting month-highs in every category. Reaves has shot 50.0 percent from the floor, 43.1 percent from three, and 93.9 percent from the line thus far.

Although Reaves hasn't provided the same on/off impact this season as he has in recent years, he's still a plus on the offensive end when he's on the court.

On a superficial level, Reaves' presence on the court does not bode well for the Los Angeles defense. However, when dissecting further, it's apparent Reaves has been more than adequate on defense this year.

Reaves ranks in the batter half of all players in steal percentage, defensive box plus/minus, and defensive win shares. While Reaves is certainly a better offensive player, he's no slouch on the less glamorous end.