div align = "center" MASON REDD HARRINGTON KIRILENKO WILLIAMSON PPG - SEASON 14.2 15.1 12.4 12.3 12.0 RPG 6.6 4.5 5.8 5.4 4.6 APG 1.8 1.5 1.4 2.0 1.2 MPG 34.7 29.1 29.0 27.5 24.9 FG % .436 .483 .456 .519 .453 PPG - WEEK 17.0 7.0 9.0 12.0 11.0 RPG 8.0 7.0 5.0 6.0 4.5 APG 4.0 2.0 1.5 1.0 2.0

Desmond Mason showed his athleticism to the nation Saturday night. Noah Graham/NBAE

THE SKINNY
With the All-Star break cutting into last week’s action, it was a light schedule for sixth men league-wide. None played more than two games last week, with Michael Redd and Desmond Mason only taking the court once apiece. For Mason, it was a good outing, as he led top Sixth Man Award candidates across the board with a 17-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist performance against the Boston Celtics. Redd wasn’t so effective from outside, scoring just seven points, but he did contribute on the boards.

For Detroit’s Corliss Williamson, the week was a spit decision as the Pistons ran their winning streak to six games. Williamson had an excellent effort in Chicago, scoring 14 points and adding eight rebounds, but was a non-factor in Detroit’s nationally-televised win over Orlando. Al Harrington had similarly split outings in a pair of Indiana wins, though the difference was not as dramatic. He followed up 10 points and seven rebounds with eight points and just three boards against New Orleans. Andrei Kirilenko also saw a similar split in back-to-back contests with Houston, netting 15 points – his high total in a couple of weeks – in a loss at home to the Rockets.

SIXTH MEN IN ALL-STAR WEEKEND
Two of the five top candidates for the Sixth Man Award took part in last weekend’s All-Star festivities in Atlanta. Kirilenko was selected to the Sophomores squad for the Rookie Challenge, and helped his team to a 132-112 victory over the Rookies. Kirilenko’s numbers – 13 points, five rebounds – were solid, but he was repeatedly praised by TNT’s broadcasting crew, including Danny Ainge and John Thompson, for his aggressive defense. For the third consecutive year, Mason competed in the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk. In the finals, Mason squared off with last year’s winner, Jason Richardson, in a battle of champions. Mason took an early lead with a score of 50 for his first dunk, but his conservative second effort opened the door for Richardson, who slammed it shut by earning his own 50.

As has become the norm, no reserves were selected for the All-Star game itself. The last reserve to play in an All-Star game was Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998. Bryant was voted into the game by fans, making it a rare start for him. Amazingly, the player Bryant backed up – guard Eddie Jones – was named his backup for the All-Star game. Before Bryant, the most recent All-Star reserve is Dan Majerle, who pulled the feat twice in the 90s. In 1995, Majerle was a reserve for the Suns who was voted a starter. He ended up starting 46 games that season and was ultimately ineligible for Sixth Man Award consideration. In 1992, Majerle was a reserve all season long, starting just 15 games. Nonetheless, he was selected for the West’s team, as was Phoenix’s starter at shooting guard, Jeff Hornacek. The season before, Milwaukee’s Ricky Pierce was an All-Star despite coming off the bench for all 46 games he played with the Bucks that year.

In the early 90s, having reserves in the All-Star game was a fairly common thing, but it seems to have almost entirely died out in the modern NBA. Will one of this year’s top five Sixth Man Award contenders change the trend? Only time will tell.

ABOUT THE SIXTH MAN AWARD
Most recent winner: Corliss Williamson, Detroit (complete list of winners)

No Sonic has ever won the Sixth Man Award, though several honorees have played for the Sonics (Eddie Johnson, Ricky Pierce, and Detlef Schrempf). The best Sonic finish was by current Coach Nate McMillan, who placed second during the 1993-94 season to Charlotte’s Dell Curry.

Eligibility: In order to be eligible for Sixth Man voting, a player must come off the bench for more games than he starts in.

PAST SIXTH MAN CENTRALS