With the 2014-15 NBA season getting under way last night, I decided to do some last-minute research to assess my Nets and Knicks' chances in the Eastern Conference. My research has led me to believe that the success (or lack there of) of many of the East's teams will be determined by their bench production.
That being said, I've decided to write report cards for all of the teams' reserves (in alphabetical order). We'll see where my Nets and Knicks stand.
Atlanta Hawks (Grade: C): Off hand this looks like a very average unit. I love the Hawks' starting core of
Jeff Teague,
Kyle Korver,
Paul Millsap and
Al Horford, but their bench leaves much to be desired.
PG Dennis Schroder looked over-matched for much of his rookie campaign and the early reports are that rookie PF Adreian Payne isn't ready to contribute. G Shelvin Mack, G Kent Bazemore, F Mike Scott and C Pero Antic are all decent, but nothing to write home about. I think SG/SF Thabo Sefolosha was a waste of a signing. One-dimensional defenders are a rightfully dying art in the NBA. They overpaid for a virtually useless player.
Brooklyn Nets (Grade: C+): PG
Jarrett Jack looked out of place (and out of shape) with the Cavs last season, but this year he looks trimmer and closer to his old self. When he's right, he's one of the premier reserves in the game. F
Mirza Teletovic should be the key player off Brooklyn's pine, finishing in the top 5 or 10 in bench ppg. C
Mason Plumlee can rebound and block shots, but I think he's become a bit overrated league wide. He can't create anything for himself. SG/SF
Alan Anderson will again be asked to be a solid contributor.
Boston Celtics (Grade: B+): This looks to be one of the better benches in the conference. PG
Marcus Smart is a rookie, but he plays with control and understanding. I think up-and-coming head coach
Brad Stevens has already had a positive impact on him. SG
Marcus Thornton brings energy and instant offense, and is always one of the leaders in reserve scoring. SF
Evan Turner's versatility makes him very useful on both sides of the ball. PF
Brandon Bass could be a starter on a lot of teams. He's simply a solid professional big. Rookie SG/SF
James Young will be an interesting player to monitor once healthy.
Charlotte Hornets (Grade: C): The fate of this bench is in the hands of SG/SF
Gerald Henderson and SG
Gary Neal. If they are shooting well this can be a productive unit; if they are off, the Hornets have nowhere else to turn. PG
Brian Roberts is decent but not a game changer, and their frontcourt of PF
Cody Zeller and C
Bismack Biyombo has been a disappointment, though both players are still very young. Biyombo is a good shotblocker but brings absolutely nothing else.
Chicago Bulls (Grade: A-): Not only is this unit talented, but it also features superior chemistry between its top two performers. PF
Taj Gibson and G
Kirk Hinrich (pick-and-roll partners) are the seasoned leaders of this group, and SF
Doug McDermott, PG
Aaron Brooks, SF
Tony Snell and F
Nikola Mirotic should supplement them quite well. Head coach Tom Thibodeau extracts the maximum from his reserves. Gibson is probably the best all-around bench player in the NBA.
Cleveland Cavaliers (Grade: C): This sub-par grade isn't necessarily reflective of the talent of the group; it's more about the usage. New head coach Dave Blatt has decided to start
Dion Waiters at SG, and I think that's a mistake. Waiters is an excellent one-on-one scorer who likes to get his touches, and I'm not sure he'll get what he wants playing with LeBron, Kyrie and K-Love. The bench will suffer without Waiters. PF/C
Tristan Thomspon will have to be the leading scorer for this unit. I think Blatt would be better off starting F
Shawn Marion and letting Waiters carry the bench. SG/SF
Mike Miller would also be a better option to start.
Detroit Pistons (Grade: A-): Stan Van Gundy's bench may have the best 1-2 punch in the conference featuring PF/C
Greg Monroe and PG
DJ Augustin. Definite similarities to Gibson and Hinrich. The Pistons should also expect solid contributions from veteran SF
Caron Butler, underrated swingman
Cartier Martin and eventually either SG
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or
Jodie Meeks, depending on who starts when Meeks returns from injury. Lot of talent here.
Indiana Pacers (Grade: C-): In terms of talent this is probably closer to a D+ bench, but the reserve experience that PF
Luis Scola and G
CJ Watson bring is definitely valuable. SF
Chris Copeland will have to shoot the lights out for this team to compete. C
Ian Mahinmi never seems to improve his game.
Miami Heat (Grade: C): I don't know why teams keep giving SF
Danny Granger a chance. He's finished. Everyone needs to let go. G
Mario Chalmers will be asked to lead this group, and the Heat's brass hopes rookie PG
Shabazz Napier will be right there with him.
Birdman and F
Shawne Williams will continue to do their thing defensively. This is an average group.
Milwaukee Bucks (Grade: C+): Since we don't really know
Jason Kidd's starters, this is kind of a guessing game. I will assume
Jabari Parker and
Brandon Knight are the most likely starters. If he plays it safe the rest of the starting lineup will consist of Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders and Giannas Antetokounmpo. That leaves SG
OJ Mayo as the top gun for a bench that will also rely upon F
Khris Middleton, C
John Henson, PG
Kendall Marshall and G
Jerryd Bayless. There's talent here, I'm just not sure how it's going to be utilized. This team is similar to the Celtics and Pistons, in that their starters and reserves are mostly interchangeable.
New York Knicks (Grade: B-): Led by the big-name duo of
Amare Stoudemire and
JR Smith, this unit might actually be the strength of
Derek Fisher's team. G
Tim Hardaway Jr.'s game is perfect for a reserve scoring role, and PG
Shane Larkin seems to be popular within the organization. Like the Celtics, Pistons and Bucks, the Knicks have a number of interchangeable starters and reserves (with the exception of Melo). Only time will tell if that's a good thing.
Orlando Magic (Grade: F): Orlando was the only team from the East to play on opening night, and boy, it wasn't pretty. Simply put, their bench is terrible. Especially with both
Victor Oladipo and
Channing Frye out with injuries. This group will be leaning heavily on veterans
Ben Gordon and
Luke Ridnour, and that isn't really a good thing. The rest of this unit isn't even worth mentioning. Definitely the worst thus far.
Philadelphia 76ers (Grade: F): Tony Wroten and a bunch of scrubs. Not even worth talking about. This organization should be ashamed.
Toronto Raptors (Grade: A-): This unit, led by G
Greivis Vasquez and F
Patrick Patterson, was very solid last season. The savvy additions of G "Sweet"
Lou Williams and F
James Johnson have only strengthened this group. I like what the Raptors organization is building. They should be a top team in the East again this year.
Washington Wizards (Grade: C): I really like the addition of PF
Kris Humphries, but I'm not particularly enthralled with the rest of this group. I think PG
Andre Miller is finished -- he creates tension and trouble more than anything else. PF Drew Gooden is a solid vet. SF
Otto Porter and SG
Glen Rice, Jr. will have to break out in order for this bench to be above-average.
Official Bench Power Rankings (East)
15. Philadelphia 76ers (F)
14. Orlando Magic (F)
13. Indiana Pacers (C-)
12. Washington Wizards (C)
11. Miami Heat (C)
10. Charlotte Hornets (C)
9. Cleveland Cavaliers (C)
8. Atlanta Hawks (C)
7. Milwaukee Bucks (C+)
6. Brooklyn Nets (C+)
5. New York Knicks (B-)
4. Boston Celtics (B+)
3. Chicago Bulls (A-)
2. Toronto Raptors (A-)
1. Detroit Pistons (A-)
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