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The odds are against him, but that’s not unlike his entire life. One could argue that others put up better numbers, but his stats are rather hard to ignore. And he plays a position – point guard – that’s only been recognized twice in the 22-year history of the award. Lots of Denver Nuggets Tickets. Either way, it doesn’t matter. He has his teammates’ vote, and that ultimately counts more than anything the media might think.

But Denver’s Earl Boykins is a front-running Sixth Man of the Year candidate, nonetheless. He has been the past two seasons, finishing seventh in the voting in 2003 (when Sacramento’s Bobby Jackson earned the honor) and fifth last year (Antawn Jamison). Only this season has been Boykins’ finest yet.

Boykins is one of the league's premier reserves.

(Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images)

A year ago, his first with the Nuggets, he averaged 10.2 points and 3.6 assists in 22.5 minutes a game, all career-highs. He also shot 88 percent from the line. This year? He’s at 12.4 ppg, 4.4 apg, 26.3 mpg and 92 percent at the line.

All from the shortest (5-foot-5) and lightest (133 lbs.) player in the league.

There hasn’t been a more dependable Nugget this season. Denver’s win against New Orleans on April 13 was Boykins’ 228th consecutive game played, the fifth-longest current streak in the NBA. He’s hit 205 of his last 218 free throws (.940) and is the third-most accurate foul shooter in the NBA this season.

But in a league of giants, Boykins has especially stood out with time running out. Through April 13th, he’s sank 11 shots in the final five seconds of a quarter, and 16 in the final 10 seconds. And his most clutch performance ever came on Jan. 18 in Seattle. After scoring just three points in regulation, Boykins poured in an NBA-record 15 points in overtime to sink the Sonics, 116-110.

“At the end of a game, when (we are) behind, he has the ability to get open, which is hard to do in our game,” Nuggets head coach George Karl says. “And when (we are) ahead, you can’t stop him from getting the ball and he’s a great free-throw shooter.”

Boykins aspires to one day be a starter in the NBA. But for now, he signed with the Nuggets to be a backup and is more than content in his role. The spark he provides the moment he steps onto the court may be his most valuable asset to the Nuggets.

“That’s what he’s been doing since he’s been in the league: come in, give a spark, get the crowd into the game,” says Andre Miller, the man Boykins backs up. “The whole environment changes when he goes into the game.”

With his diminutive size, Boykins has an abundance of quickness.

“Every night I step on the court, I know that I’m going to be faster than at least eight other guys on the court,” he says. “There may be someone just as fast as I am, but nobody’s shown me any faster eight guys.”

He’s confident, too. Though one of the tinier players on every basketball team for which he’s ever played, Boykins always knew he’d be in the NBA. He realizes he’s blessed with an unbelievable talent.

For instance, at a recent Nuggets practice, the team’s guards split into two teams pitted against each other in a 3-point contest refereed by the team’s shooting specialist, assistant coach Chip Engelland. While teammates Wesley Person and Luis Flores struggled, Boykins carried his team by draining four in a row. “Y’all got one between the two of you,” Boykins playfully chided.

As the competition drew to a close, Engelland announced that the next basket would win. With victory on the line, Greg Buckner, shooting from the right corner, was off the mark. Flores, from the left corner, missed as well. But when Boykins received his pass from Engelland, he calmly swished the winner like there was never a doubt. No one was surprised.