It’s amazing what an injury to a single player, especially a star player, can do to the entirety of a 15-man roster. Recent injuries to the likes of Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and Knicks forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire have raised serious questions about how these teams cope without indespensable players.
Some of the NBA’s best sixth men are trying to take full advantage of these very situations.
What can be especially amazing about a star-driven league like the NBA is how many routes and attitudes a team can take when dealing with adversity. Teams either struggle to find their identity without their fallen teammate, similar to the situation J.R. Smith and the Knicks have experienced. Others, such as Jeff Green and the Celtics, see an injury to a big-time player as a chance for them to step up and contribute more.
Jamal Crawford has topped our Sixth Man Rankings throughout this season, and with good reason. The Clippers have been at or near the top of the Western Conference, and Crawford’s impact has been a big part of it.
At 45-21, the Clippers are fourth in the West and have been falling of late. They are just 8-7 since February, and Crawford’s ankle and shoulder problems during that stretch isn’t helping matters.
The Celtics saw a more serious injury happen to Rondo, who has held the keys to Doc Rivers’ offense for the last several years. When he went down with a torn ACL, hope was lost in Boston. But that has changed quickly. The Rondo-less Celtics look recharged and have gone 15-6 since his departure.
Green’s emergence has coincided with Rondo’s absence. Since the injury, Green is averaging 14.6 points and looks like a completely different player than what we saw in the first half of the season. Green’s added responsibility has gotten him back into the groove people were used to seeing out of him in Seattle and Oklahoma City.
Golden State Warriors guard Jarrett Jack is having his best season as a pro, partially due to the ankle and back problems of Andrew Bogut. The center’s health issues almost forced the Warriors to play small ball, and with that came Mark Jackson’s idea to run a three-guard offense, with Jack setting up shooters Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
This has worked wonders for the Warriors, especially early in the season. Despite recent struggles, their 37-29 record has pretty much solidified a postseason berth, just their second since 1994.
Not surprisingly, many injuries to star players don’t reap positive benefits, and what’s happening with the Knicks is a prime example. With knee injuries to both Stoudemire and Anthony, the Knicks have had trouble trying to create a temporary identity.
The absence of Anthony and Stoudemire leaves plenty of available shots, and Smith appears to be highly aware of that. During Anthony’s absence, Smith as taken as many as 29 shots in a game and before Thursday’s loss in Portland had not shot over 50 percent once in March. The Knicks are 4-5 this month, falling from their hot 18-5 start to the season.
Now, on to the rankings.