It was no secret coming into the year that Russell Westbrook was displeased with the prospect of coming off the bench for the Lakers. Three weeks later, he’s seemingly found a home as the leader of Los Angeles’ second unit – and his strong play in that role could earn him the most unlikely award of his 15-year career.
The nine-time All-NBA guard is the early favorite at BetMGM to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award (+180) after averaging 19.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in his first six games in a reserve role for the Lakers. He’s priced just ahead of preseason favorite Jordan Poole (+200) and surging big man Christian Wood (+450), who are the only other players dealing at shorter than 16/1 odds.
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2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award odds (via BetMGM)
| Russell Westbrook | +180 |
| Jordan Poole | +200 |
| Christian Wood | +450 |
| Bobby Portis | +1600 |
| Malcolm Brogdon | +1600 |
| Benedict Mathurin | +1600 |
| Collin Sexton | +2500 |
| Nah’Shon Hyland | +3000 |
| Norman Powell | +5000 |
| Kevin Love | +8000 |
| John Wall | +8000 |
| Tyler Herro | +10000 |
| Anfernee Simons | +10000 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | +10000 |
| Derrick White | +10000 |
| Immanuel Quickley | +10000 |
| Alexey Pokusevsky | +10000 |
| Trey Murphy | +10000 |
| Caris LeVert | +10000 |
| Jaylen Nowell | +10000 |
Could Russell Westbrook win NBA Sixth Man of the Year?
There was plenty of speculation that Westbrook could come off the bench in Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham’s first year at the helm, but he was still a long shot in most books to win this award entering the season – if he was listed at all. That changed after the two-time scoring champion took hold of the reins for the Lakers’ undermanned second unit.
Entering Tuesday, Westbrook and rookie Bennedict Mathurin were the only primary reserves to average at least 16 points per game, and Westbrook’s six assists per game easily led all primary bench players. Those numbers undersell the season-long potential for Westbrook as a reserve, as he’s boosted his counting stats and efficiency across the board over the last six games.
There’s still risk in betting the favorite here if Ham shifts course on his rotation down the line. After all, it was just two weeks ago that Westbrook was in the starting lineup and seemed resistant to taking a backseat, even as he and the Lakers’ offense clearly struggled with him in the starting lineup.
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He’s thrived thus far in a reserve role, but it would still be almost unprecedented for a player of Westbrook’s ilk to win this award. Since the award was first handed out in 1982-83, only one player (Bill Walton) has ever won Sixth Man of the Year after previously winning an MVP, and that was for one of the best teams in NBA history in the 1985-86 Celtics.
These Lakers clearly aren’t at that level, and Westbrook is seemingly a better player even at this stage in his career than the likes of Lonnie Walker, Patrick Beverley, and Troy Brown – all of whom have started over Westbrook in recent weeks. Still, if the former MVP winner sticks to the script as an overqualified backup, he’s the best player in this field and a worthwhile bet to add a surprising award to his already illustrious resume.
NBA Sixth Man of the Year pick: Russell Westbrook +180 (BetMGM)
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