From Frank Ramsey, to John Havlicek, to Kevin McHale, the Boston Celtics pioneered the sixth man role, starting with coach Red Auerbach who used it as a tactical advantage to keep one of his best players fresh and playing against inferior players.
Since Celtics coach Brad Stevens moved Gordon Hayward to the bench he has thrived in the new sixth man role, averaging 13.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in six games. In that time, Hayward has shot better than 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from three.
In the reserve role, Hayward is able to take over as the primary ball-handler for the second unit when Kyrie Irving is not in the game, allowing him to be much more involved in the offense than when he was trying to fit in on the first unit.