The NBA awards show is just a few weeks away and this gives us an opportunity to implement some NBA awards of our own that don’t exist (yet) for the official NBA. Today we’ll be looking at the best bench players. The players must have played 50% of the team’s games as a bench player, so at least 41 games off the bench, and stats posted as a starter won’t be taken into account.
Guard: Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn Nets)
Spencer Dinwiddie was the main guy off the bench for the Brooklyn Nets this season. He was the backup for All-Star D’Angelo Russell and was the perfect fit for the role. He was the teams’ second leading scorer, scoring 17 points per game as a reserve on 45% shooting from the floor and 34% from deep. He also dished out 4.5 assists per game.
When Dinwiddie suited up as a starter, which was 4 times as opposed to the 64 times he came off the bench, his averages dropped in almost every category and also became significantly less efficient. He was clearly a better player as a backup as the Nets reached the playoffs for the first time in 4 years and had a winning record for the first time in 5 years.
Guard: Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers)
There’s not much more to be said about Lou Williams as a 6th man. I already wrote an article about him last month, which you can access here. He’s already the reigning 6th man of the year, has the most points of the bench in NBA history, the most 30-point games off the bench in NBA history and he’s one of the 3 remaining candidates for the 6th man of the year award. If he were to win the award, he would be the second player ever to win it 3 times, after Jamal Crawford.
Sweet Lou averaged 20 points and 5.4 assists on 43% shooting and 36% from beyond the arc. He’s one of 2 Clippers on this team and on the shortlist to win the 6th man of the year award. His unselfishness, leadership and talent were typifying for the Clippers’ season, as they surprised everyone by getting to the playoffs.
Forward: Terrence Ross (Orlando Magic)
Terrence Ross found his role for the Orlando Magic this season. As their main guy off the bench, who can play at both wing spots, Ross averaged a career high 15 points per contest while shooting 43% and 38% from the floor and 3 respectively. He also posted career highs in assists, rebounds and FT%.
His career season couldn’t have come at a better time for Ross, as he now enters free agency as a valuable 3-and-D player. He could be a good bench scorer for a lot of squads that are looking to compete. He was the third leading scorer for a Magic team that hadn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2012, when Dwight Howard was still on the team, and was a huge piece in their push to the playoffs.
Forward: Marvin Bagley III (Sacramento Kings)
Bagley came into the season as the number 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, so it was weird to not see him start. Bagley only played a few games as a starter here and there, while he played the bulk of the season as the backup to Nemanja Bjelica. Bagley still managed to impress however, as he put up averages of 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds on 51% shooting and 32% from 3. He did so while playing less than 25 minutes per game.
He’s the only player on the list whose averages actually improved as a starter. Bagley now looks ready to be the starter on an exciting Sacramento squad, who were in the race for the playoffs for a long time and finished as the 9th seed in the tough Western conference.
Center: Montrezl Harrell (Los Angeles Clippers)
Another amazing season from another Clippers player. Harrell is the second player on the shortlist for the 6th man of the year award, and he beats out Domantas Sabonis for the center spot in this team. Harrell averaged almost 17 points and 7 assists on 62% shooting, playing just over 26 minutes a game.
His stellar play continued in the playoffs, as he averaged 18.3 points on 73% shooting as the Clippers put up a great fight against the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Harrell was one of the players who defined the grit of this Clippers team and they can become even better next year, as they could get 2 max contract players this summer.
Courtside 