National Basketball Association

NBA: Top 5 Benches Thus Far in 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Depth is imperative in the NBA. It’s one of the pillars in building a team. Here are the top five benches thus far in the 2016-17 season.

Nov 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the game against the Utah Jazz at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-91. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

In any team-oriented sport, having quality depth behind the starting lineup of players is a major key in forming a potential championship contender.

The starters always will get the majority of the spotlight, but on any championship team, there always seems to be at least one reserve player whose contribution means just as much as one of the starters in terms of helping the respective team take home the title.

However when it comes to statistics, some of the highly ranked bench rotations in the NBA will come from the teams with the worst records. The case is usually because their starting five isn’t strong enough, so the bench sees much more time than the players from one of the top teams do.

This is very much the case with this season’s top bench squads. But just because their team isn’t at the top of the standings, doesn’t mean their efforts should be ignored.

Let’s take a look at the top five bench rotations up to this point in the NBA season.

Oct 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Terrence Jones (9) attempts a shot against Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Muscala (31) in the first quarter of their game at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

5. New Orleans Pelicans

PPG: 38.9 (5th)
RPG: 16.9 (9th)
APG: 8.6 (8th)
BPG: 2.4 (3rd)

The Pelicans had to wait until their ninth game of the season to earn their first win of the season. Needless to say, there was speculation just eight games in that they would tank the season and the rumor mill involving Anthony Davis getting close to wanting out was alive and well.

Since then, they’ve gone 6-4 in their last 10 games and are three games behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers.

Jrue Holiday returning to the lineup after missing the first 12 games certainly helped their cause, but a few players on their bench have also been key contributors in the turnaround.

Terrence Jones is quickly becoming one of the biggest bargains of the offseason. Jones signed a one-year deal for a little more than $1 million and is leading the bench in points per game (10.5) and rebounds per game (5.4).

His production has been desperately needed when Davis is off the floor.

Langston Galloway and Buddy Hield have been solid thus far except for Hield’s efficiency struggles. It takes time for players such as Hield to translate their game to the NBA. Picking his spots and adjusting to quicker closeouts can be a huge learning curve that only experience can fix.

Galloway is more of a seasoned player than Hield, obviously, and has his 39.9 field goal and 40 three-point percentages to back that up.

Holiday has been coming off the bench in his first five games back, but it’s safe to say those duties will go to Tim Frazier once head coach Alvin Gentry feels Holiday is back and conditioned.

We have a long way to go until April, so counting out a team within the first couple of weeks into the season isn’t very smart. For the Pelicans, they’ve shown they can compete with any team even though they ended up on the losing end.

Nov 22, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (R) and forward Kenneth Faried (L) before the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

4. Denver Nuggets

PPG: 42.3 (4th)
RPG: 21.1 (1st)
APG: 9.2 (5th)
BPG: 1.4 (25th)

Despite a 6-10 record, the Nuggets are one of the exciting teams to watch. They have a mixture of very young, speedy players to go with more experienced guys that make for an interesting process to watch unfold.

Their bench rotation is led by eight-year veteran Wilson Chandler who is leading the team in scoring a career-high 18.3 points per game. For this particular team, Chandler is perfect to come in and play essentially starter’s minutes because of his ability to score.

Kenneth Faried has also made his transition to coming off the bench. There have been rumors that he will get traded at some point to be a starter elsewhere, but he hasn’t let his production slip. Faried is averaging 9.2 points and leading the team with 9.2 rebounds per game.

Faried had his days as a starter, but in today’s game, he will be an extremely effective option off the bench and head coach Mike Malone has proved just that.

Jamal Murray has gotten off to a pretty good start to his NBA career. Murray was selected seventh overall in this year’s draft. The 19-year-old is averaging 10.5 points on 39.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.3 from three.

There was debate between Murray and Buddy Hield on who would be the better selection. So far, Murray is proving his worth as the better choice.

Nov 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) reacts as he grabs a rebound in front of center Jahlil Okafor (8) and Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

3. Philadelphia 76ers

PPG: 43.5 (3rd)
RPG: 19.8 (3rd)
APG: 10.1 (1st)
BPG: 2.6 (t-1st)

Surprisingly, the Sixers will be discussed in this portion of the article, but Joel Embiid won’t. Instead, the reserves–including Ersan Ilyasova, Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas and Hollis Thompson–will own the spotlight.

Some could make the argument that Ilyasova isn’t a solidified bench player since he and Dario Saric will often find themselves splitting starts.

In his 14 games this season with Philadelphia, he’s come off the bench seven times and has averaged 11.7 points per game, ranking second on the team. Despite not having many playmakers around him, he’s still managed to shoot fairly well from both the field (46.9) and three (40.6).

Pairing him alongside Okafor makes for an effective inside-out duo in the frontcourt.

Okafor has been consistent scoring this season averaging 10.4 points per game, but he continues to be a liability defensively and there are no realistic signs that will change.

The Sixers have seemed to accepted that fact and are comfortable with Okafor being the second punch offensively when Embiid is sitting.

Thompson has been a quiet weapon for Philadelphia ever since he came into the league in 2013-14. He won’t light up the box score, but he makes the shots he’s supposed to make and at an efficient clip.

Having Stauskas come off the bench seems the best thing for both he and the team. Expectations aren’t set as high that way and Stauskas doesn’t feel the pressure that comes with starting. Thus far, his numbers are proving that theory correct.

He has posted career-highs in points (10.2), rebounds (2.9), field-goal percentage (51.7), and three-point percentage (44.6).

The Sixers still are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 4-13 record, but there’s no doubt that they have become a lot more exciting to watch with Embiid and improved bench play.

Nov 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Trevor Booker (35) reacts with Brooklyn Nets guard Sean Kilpatrick (6) after making a shot in the second quarter against Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

2. Brooklyn Nets

PPG: 43.6 (2nd)
RPG: 18.4 (7th)
APG: 8.3 (10th)
BPG: 1.1 (29th)

Coming into this season, the Nets were in the conversation as potentially becoming one of the worst teams in NBA history. Their roster didn’t have much to offer, but that’s why you can’t judge teams on paper.

At 4-12, the Nets aren’t shocking the world by any means, but they have been competitive in almost every game. Sean Kilpatrick has been their spark off the bench and is beginning to catch the eye of the average fan with his 14.8 point per game average.

After two seasons of riding the bench in Cleveland, Joe Harris has taken advantage of his playing time in Brooklyn. In 24 minutes per game, Harris is averaging 8.8 points on 42.6 percent shooting from the field while pulling down 2.6 rebounds.

Justin Hamilton isn’t a name that most are familiar with. The second-round pick of the 2012 NBA Draft played in 49 games in his first two seasons with two different teams. Similar to Harris, Hamilton is seizing his opportunity in Brooklyn averaging 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

The 7-footer has been consistent connecting beyond the arc as well, converting on 41.1 percent of his attempts.

There is no expectation for the Nets to make a playoff push this season, but seeing players who haven’t had a chance to play elsewhere showcase their skills is always entertaining.

November 25, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Louis Williams (23) shoots against the defense of Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Los Angeles Lakers

PPG: 52 (1st)
RPG: 20.2 (2nd)
APG: 10.1 (t-1st)
BPG: 1.7 (18th)

Watching the Lakers without Kobe Bryant still seems weird, but for the young guys such as D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and Brandon Ingram, they couldn’t be in a better situation in terms of having the freedom to develop.

Head coach Luke Walton has been a good as advertised in helping the young core live up to the buzz that surrounded them heading into the season.

With all this being said, I’m not sure many could’ve predicted the Lakers would get out to the type of start they have at 9-9 (besides the die-hard fans, of course).