We are in a new age of NBA sixth men

As the NBA continues its evolution toward the perimeter, an interesting divergence has occurred this season: The talented “tweener” forwards who were without a position in the previous back-to-the-basket era and seemingly without a role in the current pace-and-space era have emerged as the league’s newest super-subs. These forwards are the antithesis of the modern NBA big man: They post up fewer than five times a game, attempt fewer than two three-pointers a night and aren’t true rim protectors. Yet Julius Randle, Domantas Sabonis and Montrezl Harrell are all front-runners for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Another forward playing a similar role, Marvin Bagley, will likely be a First Team All-Rookie performer, too.

What is going on here? In the past if a power forward didn’t have a traditional low-post game or size or couldn’t stretch the defense from the three-point line, then more often than not, that guy couldn’t stay on the court — no matter how talented and athletic he was. There were occasionally those who did carve out a role, such as Corliss Williamson and Thad Young, but for every one of them, there are probably twice as many guys, such as Ike Diogu, Derrick Williams, Earl Clark and Anthony Randolph, who were out of the league before turning 30.

Does this mean Randle, Sabonis, Harrell and Bagley are simply outliers? Or are they pioneers for a new age, star sixth man — an alternate to the score-first, Lou Williams-type guard off the bench? After examining these super-subs’ respective games, it appears that teams have gotten smarter about exploiting mismatches against other teams’ second units by bringing these talented forwards off the bench and playing to their respective strengths.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes each of these guys such a difficult matchup as a reserve.

Julius Randle

Through 30 games, Randle is averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and sporting a 22.9 player efficiency rating (PER). When the Pelicans are at full strength, they use Randle in the same manner teams have used Lou Williams: as a high-usage, one-man offense. In the 20 games he’s come off the bench, Randle has the fifth-highest usage rate of any bench player. The only players ahead of him are scoring guards such as Williams and Jordan Clarkson. The difference is Randle is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound human battering ram who prefers to get the ball on the perimeter so he can build some momentum before seeking contact in the paint on his hard left-handed takes. His handles and vision are above-average for a big man as well, making his bully-ball drives even tougher for defenses to stop.

Randle’s weaknesses are as obvious as his strengths. He shoots less than 32 percent from three, blocks less than a shot per game and makes less than one field goal a game off post-ups. Those weaknesses typically get exposed against most starting lineups in today’s NBA. Instead of trying to match him up with the opposition’s stretch-four or post player, Alvin Gentry has smartly decided to let the other team figure out how to adjust to Randle by bringing him off the bench and running the second unit offense through him. 

Randle is a unique talent who is an immediate mismatch for any team’s third or fourth big man, and that’s who he gets to play against for a good chunk of his minutes every night. By dictating the mismatch and staggering Randle with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans are able to maximize the amount of time in which they have the best offensive player on the court.  

Domantas Sabonis 

While Victor Oladipo gets most of the press as the gem of the Paul George trade, don’t sleep on Sabonis. The son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis has made a substantial jump in production in each of his three seasons and is tossing up an impressive 14-point, 10-rebound, three-assist stat line with a 23.2 PER. He’s also shooting an incredibly efficient 62 percent from the field. Sabonis is an excellent screener, has great touch around the rim and uses an arsenal of pivots, pump fakes and up-and-unders to keep any would-be shot-blockers off balance. Like Randle, Sabonis is more comfortable facing up defenders, which brings his surprisingly solid passing into play. He has some post moves but isn’t a huge low post presence, as he only posts up about four times per game.

The Pacers more than capitalize on Sabonis’ screening ability by running their guards off him in pick-and-rolls and handoffs nearly every play. While not the most explosive big man, Sabonis is still nimble enough at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds to be an effective rim-runner and strong enough to bury smaller players in the paint when they switch onto him. In a vacuum, Sabonis is probably a better player than Myles Turner. However, Nate McMillan knows that other teams’ starters would run Sabonis ragged with pick-and-rolls on defense and take advantage of his lack of shot-blocking abilities. Thus, he starts Turner, who is the better athlete, rim protector and three-point shooter (aka the modern big man). Then he brings Sabonis off the bench to punish lesser players in the paint and on the boards.

Montrezl Harrell 

It’s a cheap comparison because of the hair, but if you’ve never seen Harrell play, picture a super-Kenneth Faried. He’s an ultra-aggressive, rim-running big man who has a high basketball IQ, making him one of the most dangerous cutters in the league. At 6-foot-8, 240-pounds, Harrell has the appearance of an undersized power forward and poor defender. However, his 7-foot-4 wingspan allows him to bait offensive players into thinking they have passing and driving lanes before he steals their pass or blocks their layup. His wingspan and athleticism enable him to finish lobs and awkward layups and dunks for three-point plays more frequently than most players. Harrell is putting up an impressive 15-point, seven-rebound, two-block and one-steal stat line on 64 percent shooting with an awesome 24.5 PER.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers has a surplus of above-average forwards in Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari and Harrell. He starts the more versatile Harris and Gallinari with a traditional center, then brings Harrell in to run the other team into the ground with pick-and-rolls using L.A.’s plethora of aesthetically pleasing ball-handlers. When he’s not rim-running, he’s an opportunistic diver and cutter, making it difficult for his defender to help too much when the Clippers’ playmakers get into the lane. Although Harrell’s skill set is a little more limited than that of Randle or Sabonis, his physical attributes and niche skills are pretty elite, and the Clippers showcase them perfectly when he comes into each game.

Marvin Bagley

In all reality, it’s a bit of a disservice to Randle, Sabonis and Harrell to put rookie Marvin Bagley in the same category with them this season. However, Bagley’s role with the Kings helps show that this trend of bringing uniquely talented forwards off the bench as super-subs has some staying power. Bagley is a 6-foot-11, 230-pound freak of an athlete with raw basketball skills. He does his best work in the open floor where he can use his excellent speed and leaping ability to finish fast breaks. Most of his 13 points per game come from alley-oops, offensive put-backs and hanging around the basket when Sacramento’s guards attack the rim.

Bagley’s game is somewhat similar to that of a young Anthony Randolph — tall, skinny, athletic as hell, lefty tweener with boatloads of potential but not much refinement. That wasn’t meant to be an affront to Bagley because Randolph was once considered a top prospect in the league. Unfortunately, his basketball IQ, or lack thereof, drove his coaches crazy and stunted his development. Bagley is more polished than Randolph, and his coach is more patient, too. Instead of playing him sporadically like Don Nelson would with Randolph, Dave Joerger gives Bagley consistent minutes but does a nice job of simplifying things for him, playing to his strengths and not overburdening him with being a go-to guy on an up-and-coming team just yet. 

Bagley may look like Bambi on the court some games, but he also might put up 20 points and 17 rebounds against the Warriors on other nights. He’s a heck of a talent; it just might take a year or two of developing his skills as a sixth man before Bagley is ready to be a focal point.

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Each of these players has a unique game with certain high-level attributes. For Randle, they are his powerful drives to the basket and his ability to finish through contact. For Sabonis, they are his screening and touch inside the paint. For Harrell, they are his smart cutting and relentless finishing at the rim. And for Bagley, they are his speed in the open court and vertical athleticism on lobs and offensive rebounds. 

Instead of putting these players in a box and labeling them as post or perimeter players, coaches are rolling them out against the opposition’s “jayvee” unit and letting them do what they do best. It’s an optimal use of talent and should be emulated across the league.

Did you know that only four non-guards have won Sixth Man of the Year this century? Or that the last non-guard to win was Lamar Odom in 2011? The sixth man du jour around the NBA is ripe for change, and these aforementioned niche forwards seem ready to take the mantle from the heat check combo guards. 

If this trend does have staying power, look for the Lakers to ultimately test this role out with Kyle Kuzma, or better yet, Brandon Ingram. If Jabari Parker can recommit himself to the game, he would seem like an ideal candidate for this role as well. Same goes for guys such as Dario Saric, Jonathan Isaac or even Michael Porter Jr. when he gets healthy. Any forward who has an obvious set of skills but doesn’t have a true position can potentially thrive in this role.