Payton Pritchard is among the top players coming off the bench this season.
Strong options off the bench an essential piece for any contending team during the taxing 82-game season and the intense postseason that follows. A good bench can help pick up the slack if a star player is having an off night, or if the team is dealing with injury woes.
Strong bench production is a common theme when looking at the top teams in the league. Some teams have tighter rotations where only one or two reserves shine off the bench, while others embrace the lineup versatility that comes with having a deep bench.
Pritchard is a perfect fit for the Celtics’ play style, which is to say he’s a terrific volume shooter from beyond the arc. The Celtics attempt a league-leading 48.7 3-pointers per game, that’s 5.7 more than the No. 2 team in that metric (Chicago).
The fifth-year guard out of Oregon is having a career year, averaging 14.1 points per game to go with 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.8 steals. When Pritchard is on the floor, he’s ready to let it rip from beyond the arc. He ranks 11th in the league in 3PA with 366 despite playing just 27.6 minutes per game. That shooting volume would be a drag on the Celtics’ offense when Pritchard is on the floor if he wasn’t hitting those shots.
Fortunately, he is. Among the players who have attempted at least 250 three-pointers this season, Pritchard ranks 7th in 3P% at 41.5 percent. Pritchard isn’t merely a spark off the bench. He’s an integral part of Boston’s offense night in, night out.
Hunter had been a strong contributor through his first five seasons in the league, averaging 14.3 points per game, shooting 44.7% with 237 starts out of 263 appearances. Atlanta’s shifting of Hunter to a primary scorer off the bench has paid huge dividends this season, though. Hunter is putting up a career-best 19.1 points per game and has 18 games with 20 or more points. He posted a career-high 35 points in Monday’s game against the Timberwolves, as well.
Hunter has been a huge part of why the Hawks rank third in the NBA in points per game from their bench (43.0 PPG).
With the Hawks’ injury woes on the perimeter, including the unfortunate news of Jalen Johnson being out for the season with a torn labrum, time will tell whether coach Quin Snyder will shake up his rotation and start using Hunter more in the starting five or instead keep him in the role that has helped him thrive this season. Regardless, Hunter’s move to the bench has unlocked the scoring upside the Hawks envisioned on draft night in 2019.
Teammate Onyeka Okongwu has also been a key reserve for the Hawks, though he has been pressed into starting duties of late amid Atlanta’s rash of injuries.
Outside of Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves are known for their formidable frontcourt duo of Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. The frontcourt contributors don’t stop there, though, as Reid is a key ingredient off the bench.
Reid puts up 13.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per night. That production is right in line with what he did last season when he took home Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors. He gives the Timberwolves a strong paint presence on the defensive end, with a 17.8 rebound percentage and a 3.1 block percentage, and he’s also an asset on offense. Reid averages just over 2.0 made threes per game at a 41.2 percent clip. His ability to contribute on both ends of the floor makes him one of the top players off the bench in the NBA.
The Cavaliers sit atop the Eastern Conference standings thanks in large part to All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell, along with All-Star reserve candidates like Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. But another key ingredient in Cleveland’s recipe for success has been its depth, and Jerome stands out in that regard.
Jerome bounced around teams earlier in his career and injuries derailed his first season in Cleveland last year. Now, he has found his footing and is contributing every night for one of the league’s best teams. Jerome is playing 18.4 minutes a night and giving the Cavs 10.9 points per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the field, including 43.8 percent from deep. The top three scoring outputs of his career (33, 29, 26) have all come this season for the Cavaliers.
Ellis has played a big part in the Kings’ recent turnaround highlighted by achieving the 3rd-best win percentage in the NBA in January. His energetic play style shows up on the stat sheet and beyond the box score. He’s averaged nearly 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in January to go with 10.5 PPG. His name is all over the NBA’s hustle stats leaderboard as well, particularly in terms of causing deflections.
He has started 10 games this season, which is more than anyone else on this list, and it’s possible he’ll take on a bigger role depending on the Kings’ movement at the trade deadline. Still, Ellis has primarily functioned as a reserve this season and has been making contributions no matter the role.
Honorable mentions: Tari Eason, Houston Rockets; Precious Achiuwa, New York Knicks
