A couple of weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season, many teams have found their groove, while there are some who are stuttering. Sides like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers have disappointed, while the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have come up as the surprise packages. The teams who have done well in the early stages have one thing in common — effective bench play.

To contend for the championship, a dominant starting five is a prerequisite. However, without a productive bench, there’s only so far a team can go.

The sixth man helps set the tone of the second unit and ensures there isn’t a drop in production. There are occasions when they’re responsible for picking up the slack if the starters aren’t performing.

While it is early days, there are already a few candidates who have stood out in the race for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The two who are ahead of the pack are Warriors’ Buddy Hield and Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard.

Buddy Hield

Coming into the season, Hield was asked to fill in for a very difficult role. The Warriors lost Klay Thompson to the Mavericks in the offseason. Golden State viewed Hield as their replacement for the Splash brother. Although Hield struggled to find playing time with the Sixers in the end of last season, he has thrived with the Warriors so far.

The 31-year-old is currently second in scoring on the team despite coming off the bench. He’s only a tenth of a point behind Stephen Curry as the team’s leading scorer.

The three-point sniper is averaging 21.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on an efficient 51% shooting from the field. The most impressive part of his performance is that Hield is shooting a ridiculous 50.7% from three-point range.

BUDDY HIELD DAGGER 🔥

WARRIORS IMPROVE TO 7-1 AFTER BEATING THE CELTICS IN BOSTON 😤 pic.twitter.com/JSnNln3GWe

— ESPN (@espn) November 7, 2024

He has also been spearheading the best bench in the NBA in the first eight games. Golden State’s second unit holds a net rating of +10.9, which is by far the best mark in the league. This is a huge increase from last season, where the Warriors’ bench net rating was only +2.2.

Golden State’s championship window closed following their inability to reach the playoffs last year. However, the addition of Hield has ignited a fire within the team. He’s elevated the Warriors back into contention in the Western Conference. That certainly puts him at the top for the 6th man award.

Payton Pritchard

Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard has finally become an integral part of Boston’s rotation. In the past few seasons, he would receive minutes, but wasn’t a mainstay in the rotation. That has changed to start the 2024-25 season.

Pritchard is the perfect spark plug for the Celtics. Boston has so many playmakers that it allows Pritchard to excel in his role as a scorer and shooter for this team. To start the season, the 6-foot-1 guard is averaging a career-high 16.0 points, along with 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Payton Pritchard has been scorching to start the season:
‣ 16 ppg on 47/43/92 (66.9% TS)
‣ 12.1 3PAs per/75 – tied for 4th in the NBA (with Tatum)
‣ 47.6% on C&S 3s
‣ 37.5% on pullup 3s – on 4 attempts per game (!)
‣ 43.2% on shots 24ft+
‣ 62.5% from 2pt range pic.twitter.com/70wURJ88Kx

— Jake Issenberg (@jakeissenberg) November 6, 2024

His electric outing against the Bucks has been particularly noteworthy. Pritchard exploded for 28 points off the bench on 71.4% shooting from the field. He connected on eight three-pointers, which was the same as the entire Bucks team.

The defending champions have started the season without star big man Kristaps Porzingis. However, the production from one of the smallest players on the court has filled the scoring void left by the Latvian star.

Three through five

There are other players as well who are deserving of the award aside from Hield and Pritchard. Next on the list is the Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin.

The 6-foot-6 guard may have gone under the radar for many due to a torn labrum last season, which sidelined him during the team’s run to the Conference Finals. However, he’s picked up where he left off this season.

Mathurin is averaging 16.8 points and 5.9 rebounds, which is the third most on the team behind Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. His production off the bench has been pivotal to their success.

Meanwhile, Hornets guard Tre Mann is making the most of his opportunity with the Charlotte side as well. Due to the wealth of talent in Oklahoma City, Mann didn’t get the chance to showcase his talents. That has changed this season.

He is averaging 16.1 points and 3.6 assists and is yet to miss from the free-throw line so far in the season. Hornets’ star sophomore Brandon Miller missed a few games due to injury. Mann stepped up accordingly. However, he has maintained the same level of production since Miller’s return.

Finally, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner is in the running for the award again. Timberwolves big man, Naz Reid, has only improved from last season.

There were many questions surrounding the Timberwolves following Karl-Anthony Towns’ trade to the Knicks. But Reid has helped keep the team together. His improvement hasn’t come from higher usage but from higher efficiency.

Seven games in, Reid is averaging 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He’s shooting a career-high 57.8% from the field and 48.5% from three-point range. In comparison to last season, he is attempting 1.4 fewer shots while averaging 1.8 more points.

The race for Sixth Man of the Year will be a close one, which may be decided based on team success. Regardless, there are plenty of players across the league who are thriving in their role as a leader off the bench.