The Philadelphia 76ers brought in some sterling additions to the roster this summer, but it was the signing of Dean Wade in free agency that kickstarted it all. The versatile forward is expected to be a critical piece for the team this season, and it is highly likely that he could end up being one of, if not the most impactful, bench players in the league. However, a flawed voting system already derails his chances at winning the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Assuming that Nick Nurse goes with his usual scheme by starting his five best players in Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, and newcomers LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, Wade will play off the bench when the team is fully healthy. He may come in and spot-start when needed, but for the most part, the squad will rely on him as a plug-and-play piece on their second unit.
76ers forward Dean Wade will suffer from a flawed 6MOY voting system
The Sixth Man of the Year award has basically become a race for which player gets to score the most off the bench. More often than not, it is a scoring title among guys who spend more time in second units, which makes it heavily skewed toward score-first contributors.
Wade, whose skill set is not exactly conducive to producing flashy numbers, will most likely not even be in the running for the award. First off, he is not a scorer at all. Last season, he averaged just 5.8 points despite logging 22.3 minutes a night. That factor already operates against his case to win the hardware.
There is also no way for him to increase his usage rate or shot volume. The 76ers brought him in to be a low-usage, high-impact glue guy who focuses on defense and can hit open shots from beyond the arc. If it comes to a point where Wade routinely attempts more than 10 shots a night, it would mean that something went wrong with the starters.
In addition, the 6MOY award rarely favors defensive-minded players. There is a reason why Andre Iguodala never won the award despite being a force for the dynastic Warriors. Alex Caruso, one of the premier defenders in the NBA, has not even been in real consideration for the award.
Dean Wade will probably not even bat an eye about it, but he probably won't win the Sixth Man of the Year award given this flawed voting system. Be that as it may, as long as he can provide what the 76ers need on the less glamorous parts of the game, the team will be more than happy to have him on board, even if his raw numbers fail to impress.
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