When each season comes to an end, a variety of awards are presented to individuals who performed to the best of their abilities during the campaign. These awards include the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, the Rookie Of The Year award, the Basketball Executive Of The Year award, the KIA Sixth Man Of The Year award, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate Of The Year award, the Coach Of The Year award, the KIA Most Improved Player award, the KIA Defensive Player Of The Year award, the NBA Sportsmanship award, and the NBA Cares Community Assist award. The most coveted and talked about award of these is clearly the NBA’s MVP award, but one that often gets overlooked but holds a lot of importance is the Sixth Man of the Year award.

The Sixth Man of the Year award was handed to Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets last season after he averaged 16.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on a solid 37.2% shooting from three-point land -- something he excelled at all season long. But this season Eric Gordon was moved into the starting lineup when superstar Chris Paul missed a few weeks with injury, and hasn’t really been playing as a legitimate sixth man. This leaves the debate open for who is looking like the best bench player this season, and the Cavs have two contenders for the award.

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest players of all-time, and it was a huge surprise for many that after starting for teams including the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls for his whole career, Wade and the Cavaliers' coaching staff decided to bring him off the bench with the second unit.

It was odd seeing D-Wade off the bench after starting for his first 14 seasons, but it quickly worked well and he became a lot more efficient and played a lot better for the Cavs coming off the bench. Wade has been a great facilitator and playmaker this season for the second unit of Cleveland, and has been a huge reason that Cleveland’s bench is ranked in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season.

In recent years the Cavs' bench has been terrible without LeBron James on the floor, but Dwyane has helped them become a force to be reckoned with.

Kyle Korver

Although Dwyane Wade has been the playmaker for the second unit, Kyle Korver has still been a huge player for the Cavaliers this season, and brings a spark off the bench.

It’s clear that the Cavaliers might have lost a few more games this season if the man known as "Mr. Fourth Korver" didn’t catch fire and knock down some important three-point shots. As one of the greatest shooters of all-time, Korver has thrived playing with LeBron and even Wade, and probably will also thrive with Isaiah Thomas too.

Korver has shot the ball terrifically, averaging 10.3 points per game on 43.3% shooting from deep. Korver looks like a huge threat to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, but there is just one threat in his way, his own teammate, D-Wade, who is averaging 11.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and almost 1 steal and 1 block per game this season.
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