Top 5 Sixth Men in the NBA heading into the 2021-22 season

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#3 Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose #4 of the New York Knicks

Derrick Rose was a finalist in the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year rankings after receiving one first-place vote. Despite sustaining career-ending injuries on several occasions, Rose has bounced back time and time again.

Although he is not as explosive as he was early in his career, the veteran guard showed bursts of brilliance in the 2020-21 NBA season for the New York Knicks. He was their best player during the playoffs, averaging 19.4 points, four rebounds and five assists.

The New York Knicks signed Kemba Walker during the offseason to bolster their ranks ahead of the 2021-22 season. Tom Thibodeau will once again require Rose to lead the second unit.

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#2 Patty Mills

Patty Mills of Team Australia celebrates with his bronze medal

Patty Mills has held the San Antonio Spurs together for a while from the bench. Throughout his 12-year NBA career, he has been a rotation player and has excelled at it.

The Brooklyn Nets lacked depth in the 2020-21 NBA season and have sought to reconcile that with the signing of Mills. With every team in search of All-Star caliber players, this could be the most under-the-radar signing that will prove the most productive.

Mills' showing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is proof that the veteran guard still got it. He put 42 past Luka Doncic and Slovenia to secure a bronze medal for the Aussies.

Australia's Patty Mills with 42 points and nine assists in 107-93 win over Slovenia in bronze medal game at 2020 Tokyo Olympics, securing his nation's first men's basketball medal at a major international competition. Boomer legend. pic.twitter.com/tEHLLHEpX5

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 7, 2021

Getting Mills was an absolute steal for the Nets as he will be adding to an already lethal Nets shooting team. He shot 37.5% from beyond the arc during the 2020-21 NBA season and considering the difficulty of most of his shots, that's an incredible number.

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#1 Jordan Clarkson

Jordan Clarkson #00 of the Utah Jazz

With the 2021-22 season a month away, Jordan Clarkson has already opened as the heavy favorite to win the 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

Clarkson won the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award to become the first Utah Jazz player to receive such an honor. He finished the season as the second-best scorer on the team despite playing considerably fewer minutes and started only one game of the 68 he featured in.

EARNED. S/O to Jordan Clarkson for winning Sixth Man of the Year. pic.twitter.com/9IjCiq8c8N

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2021

Given how efficient the 28-year-old was last season, things are looking up as chances are that he will get better. He will continue to produce off the bench during the 2021-22 NBA season for a Jazz backcourt led by Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell.