Denver Nuggets: Wilson Chandler Should Be in the Lead for 6th Man of the Year
Nov 22, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (R) and forward Kenneth Faried (L) before the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Wilson Chandler has been a major force for the Mile High, and could his contributions make him the Denver Nuggets first 6th Man of the Year?
The Denver Nuggets are lucky to have Wilson Chandler back and healthy this season because he has been balling on a different level.
In his post game interview against the Suns, Chandler said: “(I’m) just trying to be aggressive and play off of my teammates.” He continued to reiterate how his main focus is to help the team win. He also explained how good he has felt throughout this season.
Chandler’s health has been a major focus as he had some issues throughout this season and missed two games, but he did missed the entire last season with a hip injury. Chandler, so far this season, is one seventh Nuggets to make an appearance in at least 15 games this season.
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While his health and attitude is a very big concern, let’s take a look at how it translates to his game on the court.
Nov 25, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) in the second quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Chandler’s Incredible Stats
So far this season, Wilson Chandler is averaging 18.3 points per game and is doing that on a nice 47.1% from the field. He also chips in 7.7 rebounds per game and averages a mere 1.5 turnovers game.
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His 30.8 minutes per game is his third least of his NBA career, and that is with several key players injured, it will be interesting to see if his minutes go down when others return.
Per 36, Chandler is averaging 21.3 points which is the most for any Nugget that has played over 50 minutes.
The major key that makes Chandler a force is that he is a Swiss army knife, and even Coach Malone acknowledged that. Chandler can defend virtually every position as he saw time on Anthony Davis in the Nuggets’ season opener, and he has the ability to switch onto most point guards also.
Coach Malone has seemingly fallen in love with the ability to use Chandler everywhere, and Chandler’s usage percentage has skyrocketed because of that. Chandler boasts a 24.8 usage percentage which is tied with Emmanuel Mudiay for the teams most.
The key to Chandler’s 6th Man of the Year run will be his health and his ability to continue to thrive in his minutes. His 30.8 minutes per game may see a dip, but his production needs to stay up in order for him to bring the Mile High City their first award in quite some time.
So, with that talk, how does Chandler stack up against the rest of the sixth men?
Nov 18, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) guards Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Raptors won 113-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Does Chandler Compare Well Against Other 6th Men?
At the beginning of the season, HoobsHabit did a article that gave the top 10 6th MOY candidates, so that is what I will be going off of for comparing Wilson Chandler.
Greg Monroe, Enes Kanter, and Brandon Knight were the top three candidates. Will Barton, Chandler’s Denver teammate, came in 7th in this listing and snagged a couple votes last season for 6th MOY.
Monroe, who averages less than 10 points per game and 8 rebounds per game, is virtually outmatched at every stat, and Chandler is easily a clearly better than him. Kanter and Knight both have been awful to start the season. Banter averages less than 5 points per game while Knight 2.6 turnovers per game and shoots less than 42%.
Even among the best 6th men, Chandler still stands out. He has been a force all season for the Nuggets and should continue to be even with Barton, Harris and Gallinari eventually becoming healthy.
While Wilson Chandler did not even spell the HoopsHabit list, he has started to prove everyone wrong in his quest to be this years 6th MOY.
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