Can Klay Thompson win 6th Man of the Year? Closer look at eligibility criteria after Warriors guard shines in new role

The Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson has been flourishing in his role coming off the bench recently. After initial reservations of playing as the sixth man, the five-time NBA All-Star has embraced his newfound part in the team’s rotation, resulting in a lot of success.

His stellar plays have brought to fore the possibility of him vying for the Sixth Man of the Year award, given to the league’s best-performing player for his team off the bench.

The winner of the award is voted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters covering the league, who take into consideration the players’ numbers and general impact on the team in coming up with the winner.

Unfortunately, for the four-time NBA champion, he's no longer eligible for the award this season, as he will not be able to meet one of the key requirements for a player to win the honor: he must come off the bench in more games than he starts.

Klay Thompson has played 53 of 57 games for the Warriors and started 49 of them. With 25 games left in their schedule, the most the 34-year-old star guard could compile as a sixth man is 29 games, falling well short of the minimum requirement of 42 in an 82-game regular season.

Additionally, 65 games are required to qualify for leaguewide awards, beginning this season.

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Klay Thompson comes off the bench, scores 25 to help Warriors over Wizards

Klay Thompson came off the bench on Tuesday and top-scored with 25 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 123-112 road win over the Washington Wizards.

It marked the third time in five games that he led the team in scoring off the bench. Against the Wizards, Thompson played 27:18 minutes, going 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-11 from the three. His 25 points were part of the team’s 59 bench points, and he also had four assists and three rebounds.

Following the game, the five-time NBA All-Star shared his thoughts on coming off the bench after spending much of the season, and his career in general, as a starter, telling NBC Sports Bay Area:

"It's been a pretty seamless transition. It does have its benefits as far as letting the game settle, seeing the floor before you're out there, it's relaxing."

Early this season, Klay Thompson’s struggles to find his shot were well-documented, even leaving him in the discussion as trade piece before the deadline.

However, with his improved play as part of the second unit, the Warriors may have found a more suitable spot for Thompson at this stage of his illustrious career.