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Rebound Rogers’ redemption earns Sixth Man Award
Posted: Tuesday May 02, 2000 01:54 AM
PHOENIX (AP) -- Rodney Rogers, whose career had faded in four unhappy years with the Los Angeles Clippers, won the NBA's Sixth Man Award Monday in his first season with the Phoenix Suns. Rogers, who signed a free-agent contract with Phoenix for the $2 million exception allowed over the salary cap, averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game for the Suns. He was an important offensive weapon for a team decimated by injuries throughout the season. Rogers was the only Phoenix player to appear in all 82 games, 75 as a reserve. The 6-foot-7 forward was a threat inside and outside. He was fourth in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage at .439. Rogers was the overwhelming choice for the award, receiving 104 of a possible 121 votes from a panel of sports writers and sportscasters. His percentage of the panel's vote (86 percent) was the second-largest ever for Sixth Man voting. Cliff Robinson, now Rogers' teammate, received 90.8 percent of the votes for the award when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1992-93. Rogers is the second Phoenix player to win the award in three years. Danny Manning was the recipient in 1997-98. The Suns were 35-11 in games in which Rogers scored 13 or more points. "He's very difficult because he can play the small forward or the big forward," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "If you put a small guy on him, he posts up and if you go big on him, he steps outside. "I'm impressed with the way he's shooting the ball. It seems like every time he gets an open look it goes down. He gives them a real lift off the bench. He's done a terrific job and I can't think of anyone else I would pick over him for the Sixth Man Award."
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