NBA Role Players: Top 5 Sixth Man Candidates for the 2011-2012 NBA Season

The Sixth Man of the Year Award goes to the bench player who most helped his team to greatness during the course of the NBA season. This year, Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers took home the statue with a smile, helping the Lakers to a 57-25 regular season record.

There are several new faces to consider for the upcoming 2011-2012 season including second year players and former All-Stars. Considering contribution to a team, development and the decline of the players around them, here's a list of the top possible recipients of the award.

DeJuan Blair

At just 6' 8" DeJuan Blair isn't the tallest F/C the NBA has ever seen, but at 270 lbs he may be one of the thickest. Blair is a hustler, a blue-collar worker who averaged 8 PPG and 7 RPG last year.

With Tim Duncan aging and needing more and more rest as the 2011-2012 season goes on, Blair's minutes will go up and with that, the ability to showcase his skills and production will be center stage in San Antonio.

Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy's Game 4 performance against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs was both a thing of beauty and a melancholy pang in the heart of Blazer fans.

Roy came alive to help Portland overcome a 23-point deficit and stun the eventual champion Mavericks. That game, Roy reminded us all why he was voted Rookie of the Year in 2007 but unfortunately Roy will most likely see himself come off the bench due to his chronic knee problems in 2011-2012.

If Roy can come off the pine and spark the Blazers like he did during his Game 4 performance, we may well be adding the Sixth Man Award to his mantle. 

Evan Turner

The former number two pick saw some struggles in his first year in Philadelphia, which is understandable on a struggling team.

However, Turner had to start behind Jodie Meeks, an oddity for the second pick in the 2010 draft. Turner's size, speed and scoring ability may just allow him to hop ahead of the learning curve in his second year and if he can see more on the floor in 2011-2012, he may yet have another chance to prove himself.

Aaron Brooks

When Aaron Brooks started a full 82 games for the Houston Rockets in 2009-2010 he averaged 19 PPG and 5 AST. With his quickness and pick-and-roll abilities, Brooks is a considerable offensive threat.

As Steve Nash continues to spend more time laying on the hardwood than playing, Brooks' minutes will continue to creep up. With a mentor like Nash, Brooks' production in the coming year could be significant enough to bump him up in the Sixth Man consideration as well as in the Suns' future plans. 

Jason Terry

The Jet nearly won the Sixth Man award in the 2010-2011 campaign, narrowly missing the opportunity to do so when Lamar Odom took top billing instead.

Terry is coming off an NBA championship season, however, and will harbor that goodwill heading into next year. Couple that with the fact that Terry is one of the few A-type scorers that come off the bench and score at will, he's the leading candidate to take top honors for next year's award.