2022-23 NBA Preseason Awards Media Poll: Sixth Man of the Year

Fastbreak on FanNation polled 21 different NBA media members from around the country ahead of the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. Here are the results of the voting for who the media believes will win the Sixth Man of the Year award.

A new NBA season is upon us and with it comes speculation about what will happen over the next few months.

Who will win this season's awards? Which teams will finish with the best and worst records? Who has the best chance to make the All-Star Game for the first time in their career?

Fastbreak on FanNation polled 21 different NBA media members, some who cover the league as a whole and some who cover an individual team, asking them these specific questions and gathering their results.

Below are the results from the voting that took place for the 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award:

Media Members Pick To Win Sixth Man of the Year:

Jordan Poole - Golden State Warriors

After finding himself with one foot out the door in this league when he was demoted to the G League during the 2020-21 season, Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole is now on the verge of stardom and a possible nine-figure contract extension.

The improvements Poole made to his game in the last year has been remarkable and he was a huge reason why the Warriors were able to find the success they did last season and ultimately go on to capture their fourth championship in the last eight seasons. With Klay Thompson back and healthy, Poole will very likely find himself as the Warriors’ first guy off-the-bench, making him a heavy favorite to win the 2022-23 Sixth Man of the Year award.

Receiving 11 total votes in our media poll, Poole seems like the clear answer for who this year’s best bench player could be, as reigning Sixth Man of the Year and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro only received three votes, followed by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love and Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon each with two votes.

Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson and Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons each received one preseason vote for Sixth Man of the Year, even though they both could end up starting for their respective teams, and new Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton also received one vote.

Every season, the Sixth Man of the Year award seems to be up-for-grabs, but given his value to his team and the fact that he could realistically average upwards of 28 minutes per game off-the-bench this season, Jordan Poole finds himself as the heavy front-runner for this award.

If the Warriors are to once again find success during the 2022-23 season and have a chance to defend their title, it will be because Poole continues to expand on his game and prove that he is both the now and future of the Golden State Warriors. 

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Complete voting results from 2022-23 NBA Preseason Media Poll:

• 2022-23 NBA Preseason Most Valuable Player
• 2022-23 NBA Preseason Rookie of the Year
• 2022-23 NBA Preseason Most Improved Player
• 2022-23 NBA Preseason Sixth-Man of the Year
• 2022-23 NBA Preseason Coach of the Year
• 2022-23 NBA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
• Who Will Finish With The Worst Regular Season Record?
• Who Will Finish With The Best Regular Season Record?
• Which Team Will Win The Eastern Conference?
• Which Team Will Win The Western Conference?
• Which Team Will Win The 2023 NBA Finals?
• Who Is Most Likely To Be A First-Time All-Star During The 2022-23 NBA Season?