NBA Predictions: Ranking the Early Contenders for 6th Man of the Year Award

We're only into the fourth week of the 2011-12 NBA season, but it's never too early to start making predictions on which players are contending for end-of-the-year awards, specifically the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The Sixth Man of the Year Award has been given out since the 1982-83 season. The award is given to the player in the NBA who is the most valuable for his team coming off of the bench. Previous winners include players like Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Ben Gordon, John Starks and Kevin McHale.

Which player will join the ranks of those great players who have won the award before? Will it be a second-time winner like Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry, or will it be a newcomer like James Harden or Ricky Rubio?

Read on to find out who the early contenders are for this year's Sixth Man of the Year award and to find out where they rank in relation to each other. 

7. Portland Trailblazers SG Jamal Crawford

2011-12 Stats: 12.7 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.1 rpg, 14.72 PER

Jamal Crawford was a great pickup for the Trailblazers this offseason, and his play off the bench is one of the main reasons why the Blazers have been able to get off to an above-average start with an 8-6 overall record.

Crawford's statistical averages are down this year when compared to his last few seasons, but he's still a solid spark off the bench for the Trailblazers. The main reason why Crawford isn't producing on the same level as he has in the past is because he's shooting a career-low 34.5 percent from the field.

For Crawford to make a legitimate run at the Sixth Man of the Year award, he must start to play at a more efficient level than he currently is, with an incredibly low PER of 14.72. More importantly than winning this award, though, is the fact that if Portland want to win, they also need Crawford to play more efficiently overall.

If Jamal Crawford picks up his game and manages somehow to win the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, he has the potential to become one of only two other players in the history of the NBA to win the award twice in their career.    

6. Orlando Magic SG J.J. Redick

2011-12 Stats: 12.2 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.6 rpg, 17.59 PER

In his sixth season in the NBA, J.J. Redick is finally fitting into a solid role with the Orlando Magic. Sure, he's not scoring at the ridiculous pace that he was coming out of college, but he's turning into a nice first option off of the bench for the Orland Magic.

Redick is shooting at one of the most efficient rates of his career, with a field goal percentage of 44.1 percent, and his points-per-game production is also at its highest at an average of 12.4 ppg. Redick won't stand a chance of actually winning the Sixth Man of the Year award if he continues to play at those levels, but his production gives him a solid foundation to build on going on in the 2011-12 season.

If the Magic continue to win games and Redick can manage to bump up his points per game average above 16 ppg, and he can keep his PER close to the 18.0 level, he stands a chance of being in contention for the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

5. Philadelphia 76ers SF Thaddeus Young

2011-12 Stats: 12.4 ppg, 0.9 apg, 4.8 rpg, 17.92 PER

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to one of their best starts in recent memory, with a 10-4 overall record. While they haven't beat many "elite" teams, there is no doubting that they are full of young potential, and that starts with their starting five and makes it all the way to the first guy off the bench, Thaddeus Young.

Young has helped solidify the 76ers bench as one of the most productive in the NBA, truly being the difference maker in a majority of the 76ers wins. Young is an inconsistent player, and that is why he's not higher on the list. There have been games this year where Young has scored two, eight and nine points, only to be followed by games in which he has gone off for 18,1 8 and 22 points respectively.

What is impressive about Young when compared to other players on this list is that his PER of 17.92 ranks the higher than all other Sixth Man of the Year contenders, aside from Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry. 

Until Thaddeus Young becomes more of a consistent player, he won't be a truly legitimate contender for the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, but that doesn't mean he won't be one of the main reasons why the 76ers will remain competitive throughout the 2011-12 season.

4. Indiana Pacers PF Tyler Hansborough

2011-12 Stats: 11.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.0 spg, 16.01 PER

The Indiana Pacers are off to a truly impressive 9-4 start, which is in large part due to the consistent production that the Pacers are able to get from their bench, specifically from power forward Tyler Hansbrough.

Hansbrough is often the first man off the bench for the Pacers, replacing dominant power forward David West, and what makes Hansbrough's play so impressive is that he averages nearly as many points per game and rebounds per game as West. Hansbrough makes the decision to bring West out of the game an easy one because he plays at the same level, statistically speaking, as West does night in and night out.

Another impressive aspect of Hansbrough's game this year has been his increased production no the defensive side of the ball, averaging 1.0 steal per game, which is nearly double than his career average of 0.6.

Sure, Hansbrough is going to have to increase his overall efficiency if he wants to win the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, but it's an honor for Hansbrough to even be in the contention for the award. If Hansbrough continues to play the way he has so far this season, there's no reason why the Pacers can't continue to win games, which will help his chances of winning this award that much more.

3. Dallas Mavericks SG Jason Terry

2011-12 Stats: 14.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 1.6 rpg, 18.16 PER

Jason Terry is a perfect example of a player who is better coming off the bench than being placed into the starting lineup. Terry should easily be starting over shooting guard Delonte West, but that wouldn't be in the best interest of the Mavericks.

The one thing that Terry does better than every player on this list is continually hit big-time clutch shots for the Mavericks, which is a big reason why the Mavericks have been able to rebound to 8-7 after a slow 1-4 start to the season.

In addition to Terry's big game mentality, he's also one of the most efficient players on this list, with a PER of 18.12. Terry is averaging less minutes this year than in any of the past eight seasons, but he's still performing at a consistent pace, which is very impressive.

Terry won this award before, in 2009, and if he manages to win the award in 2012, he will join Kevin McHale and Detlef Schrempf as the only two-time winners of the award. While Terry needs to increase his production a bit to beat out guys like James Harden and Ricky Rubio for the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, he's still very much in the early contention for it. 

2. Minnesota Timberwolves PG Ricky Rubio

2011-12 Stats: 10.7 ppg, 8.3 apg, 4.6 rpg, 18.45 PER

Ricky Rubio has been the biggest surprise of the 2011-12 NBA season. A lot of "experts" felt that Rubio's style of game wouldn't transition quickly into the speed of the NBA, and they couldn't have been further from the truth.

Rubio is arguably the best rookie in the NBA this year, and he's doing a great job of helping the often-terrible Minnesota Timberwolves remain at least somewhat relevant in the stacked Western Conference. In only 14 games this season, Rubio has totaled double-doubles in five games, which is a truly impressive feat for a rookie.

Ricky Rubio has one of the brightest futures of any point guard coming into the NBA of the past few years, and he will earn a starting spot relatively soon, so this is the one year where Rubio stands a chance of even being considered for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

If Rubio can manage to increase his per game averages to a double-double average, and the T'Wolves can start to win more games than they're losing, he will give James Harden a legitimate run for his money when it comes to the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder SG James Harden

2011-12 Stats: 16.3 ppg, 3.1 apg, 3.9 rpg, 21.57 PER

James Harden is the clear front runner for the this year's Sixth Man of the Year award, and if he keeps performing at the level he is this year, there's a high likelihood that he will win it.

In almost the same amount of minutes per game this season as compare to his previous two, Harden is averaging 4.1 more points per game, 1.0 more assists per game and 0.8 more rebounds per game. In addition to his increase in offensive performance, he is also shooting the ball at the most efficient rate of his career, with a 45.0 percent field goal percentage, and he's the most efficient overall player on this list with a PER of 21.57.

James Harden is one of the main reasons why the Oklahoma City Thunder hold the best record in the Western Conference with a 12-3 overall record. He is a consistent offensive spark off the bench, and he fits perfectly into the Thunder's high-octane offense, making his transition from the bench into the game that much easier.

It's amazing that Harden hasn't found his way into the starting lineup, but lucky for him, his performance off the bench is setting him up to becoming the clear winner of the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.