Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole’s path to Sixth Man of the Year

Jordan Poole has had a prolific rise to the top but can he become a Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the Golden State Warriors?

Jordan Poole could become the first Sixth Man winner the Golden State Warriors have ever had. But what would it take to get the job done?

The Dubs have always had a strong bench but they’ve never had anyone take home the Sixth Man award. Andre Iguodala came closer than anyone, finishing second in 2016 and a few votes in 2019.

Poole’s ascension

Poole is in a better position than any member of the Dubs has ever been to win the award. He’s a high-scoring, high-usage guard who can fill the stat sheet while playing starter minutes.

This is essentially the ideal mold for Sixth Man of the Year and you need to look no farther than Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams, the two bench players with the most awards.

Last season, JP averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 assists. He finished with zero votes for 6MOTY.

Other candidates

In order to win the award, JP will have to outduel a few highly-capable names.

The reigning 6MOTY, Tyler Herro, is in no rush to leave his role as the Miami Heat’s best man of the bench. He’s the obvious favorite to repeat as the winner.

Other names like Jordan Clarkson, Luke Kennard and possibly even Cam Johnson could contend for the award again.

What it would take

So how can Poole separate himself from the pack? Two keys.

Firstly, the Dubs simply need to win more games than everyone else. If Golden State secures the best record in the league, Poole’s chances rise significantly.

Of course, the second point is — Poole needs to directly contribute to this success. Continue to be an efficient scorer and playmaker while also rounding out his defensive skill set.

By doing all of this, Poole will have a great shot of winning the 6MOTY.