Celtics’ Payton Pritchard Beats Out Cavs’ Ty Jerome, Others For NBA Sixth Man Of Year

The NBA handed the Sixth Man of the Year trophy to Celtics guard Payton Pritchard on Tuesday, and while no one’s saying he didn’t earn it, there’s a case to be made that Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome might’ve been more valuable, especially when it mattered.

Pritchard received 82 first-place votes and 454 total points, winning the award thanks to his 14.3 points and high-volume shooting over 80 games.

Impressive numbers, no doubt –including an NBA record 246 threes off the bench. But Jerome? He was the engine behind one of the league’s best second units and Cleveland’s climb to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Jerome, 27, played just two games last season after ankle surgery. This year, he returned to average 12.5 points on a ridiculous 51.6% shooting overall, 43.9% from deep, and 87.2% from the stripe — all in less than 20 minutes per game. He didn’t rack up empty calories. He just helped the Cavs win. A lot.

In a world obsessed with minutes and totals, Jerome quietly became the Cavaliers’ X-factor — efficient, poised, unshaken. And let’s not forget: Cleveland finished with a better record than Pritchard’s Celtics and Detroit’s Malik Beasley (who finished second).

Beasley, by the way, played all 82 games and scored more (16.3 ppg), but efficiency and impact? Jerome had both.

Call it a snub if you want. Cleveland fans certainly will. But there’s no denying Jerome’s rise was one of the stories of the season — trophy or not.

Along with Jerome, Cavs forward De’Andre Hunter, who began the season with the Atlanta Hawks, finished fourth with 33 points. Hunter received two first-place votes.

The Cavs won a 1-0 series lead over the Miami Heat. Game 2 is Wednesday night at Rocket Arena.

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