With the NBA season almost upon us, we ranked the top 30 starters at every position. Now, it’s time to tackle the bench.
A quick note before we begin: Coaches don’t release their starting fives before tipoff of games, let alone in October when they’ve barely seen how their players perform together. These starting units for all 30 teams are my best guesses, but there will inevitably be some that I get wrong.
(Before yelling at me that Sixth Man of the Year award winner Tyler Herro isn’t even in my top 30 bench players, check that list. He’s projected as a starter for me.)
With that out of the way, here are the 30 best reserves for the 2022-23 season.
MORE: Offseason additions and departures for all 30 teams
NBA bench player rankings 2022-23
1. Alex Caruso, Bulls
Caruso is the best perimeter defender in the league in my book. His one-on-one defense is remarkable to watch. Had he not been limited to 41 games, he would likely have been named to an All-Defensive team last season.
Caruso’s box score statistics are nothing special. It may sound silly to have someone as the best reserve when that player only averaged 7.4 points per game, shot under 40 percent from the field and hit 33.3 percent of his 3-pointers in 2021-22. But he rates solidly in impact stats because he is constantly making winning plays without scoring the ball.
The Sixth Man award almost always goes to big-time scorers — the last player to win it who didn’t average double-figures was Anthony Mason back in 1995. Caruso has a chance to buck that trend.
2. Jordan Poole, Warriors
Poole is a wonderfully creative scorer and a terrific shot maker. He took a big scoring leap last season, averaging 18.5 points per game.
He did get somewhat exposed in the NBA Playoffs as a defender that could be targeted.
3. Derrick White, Celtics
White is another elite defender whose offensive limitations can overshadow his other contributions. He can’t create great offense for himself, but he’s a nice passer and solid cutter.
White has been an up-and-down shooter throughout his career, hitting only 31.2 percent of his 3-pointers last season for the Spurs and Celtics combined. But he brings great value as a point-of-attack defender who is extremely difficult to screen.
4. Kevin Love, Cavaliers
Love had a renaissance season in Year 14 of his career. The runner-up to Herro for Sixth Man of the Year, he provided great punch off the bench, hitting 39.2 percent of his 3-pointers and dropping 13.6 points per game.
He’s always had defensive problems, but he did show more effort and buy-in of his role for a surprisingly good Cavs team last season.
5. Malcolm Brogdon, Celtics
Brogdon is a solid, heady two-way point guard that should help the Celtics a ton if he stays healthy.
That health is, of course, always the question mark with him. Over his previous three seasons with the Pacers, he played in 146 of the team’s 227 games.
6. Robert Covington, Clippers
Covington is an advanced stats darling and another legitimate 3-and-D wing. His on-ball defense is slightly overrated, but he’s a very good help defender and generates a lot of turnovers with his length.
He closed the year out well for the Clippers, showing a little more shot creation than he ever had previously.
7. Kyle Anderson, Timberwolves
Anderson is one of the strangest players in the NBA. He’s a very good defender that can match up with some of the better wing scorers in the league. He’s also a heady offensive facilitator that somehow finds a way to put pressure on the rim despite moving like molasses.
He can be tricky to play because of his lack of 3-point shooting ability, but in the right lineups, he is very effective.
8. Grant Williams, Celtics
Williams infamously started his NBA career by missing his first 25 3-pointers. Last season, he showed much more consistency, connecting on 41.1 percent of his 3-pointers during the regular season and 39.3 percent during the NBA Playoffs.
He’s a great defender in the Celtics’ switch-heavy scheme, able to guard capably across multiple positions. He did an admirable job against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
9. Maxi Kleber, Mavericks
Kleber didn’t shoot the ball well during the regular season, but his 43.6 percent mark on 3-pointers during the NBA Playoffs showed how valuable he could be as a stretch big playing alongside Luka Doncic.
He also brings great defensive versatility, as he’s able to guard a little on the perimeter and at the rim.
10. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hawks
Bogdanovic is a nice secondary ball handler for the Hawks that can create looks for others and himself.
He’s a solid threat from deep, hitting 38.4 percent of his 3-pointers for his career.
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11. Christian Wood, Mavericks
12. Patrick Beverley, Lakers
13. Marcus Morris, Clippers
14. Gary Payton II, Trail Blazers
15. Bruce Brown, Nuggets
- Wood is a great volume 3-point shooter and can put some pressure on the rim. That’s exactly what Doncic needs. He’s been plagued by very poor effort defensively despite having good tools. Maybe that changes on a good team.
- Beverley is a tough defensive veteran that hounds players on the ball. He’s a very low-usage offensive player, but he can still hit open 3-pointers.
- Morris is a good scorer and shooter, hitting 36.7 percent of his 3-pointers last season. He doesn’t do much else on offense besides score, though. He’s been a nice frontcourt option when the Clippers go small.
- Payton had a breakout season for the Warriors, leading to a big payday from the Blazers. He’s a rugged defender that plays with a ton of force. Offensively, he’s a great athlete and finisher at the rim.
- Brown is an extremely versatile player. He can guard up or down multiple positions. On offense, his jump shot is a little shaky, but he’s a good playmaker and cutter that will fit seamlessly into the Nuggets’ system.
16. Tyus Jones, Grizzlies
17. Norman Powell, Clippers
18. Bobby Portis, Bucks
19. Brandon Clarke, Grizzlies
20. Luke Kennard, Clippers
- Jones held down the fort admirably when Ja Morant missed parts of last season for the Grizzlies. He’s probably the best backup point guard in the league.
- Powell has turned himself into a reliable bucket-getter over the past few seasons. While he only played in five games for the Clippers last season, he continued that trend, averaging 21.4 points per game. He should continue to give them instant offense off the bench.
- Portis has been an offensive spark plug ever since he entered the league. He’s a good stretch shooter and an energy big, but he is limited defensively.
- Clarke is an offensive rebounding machine. His pogo stick jumping makes him a great lob threat on offense, and he has a nice runner to go along with it.
- Kennard’s 11.9 points off the bench and 44.9 percent shooting from 3-point range helped him finish fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season. He’s a great offensive spark plug.
21. De’Anthony Melton, 76ers
22. Otto Porter Jr., Raptors
23. Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls
24. Daniel Gafford, Wizards
25. Jordan Clarkson, Jazz
- Melton is an advanced stats darling and a major impact defender. He has a great nose for the ball. He’s developed into a pretty good 3-point shooter, too.
- Porter has been a dependable midrange shooter and 3-point specialist throughout his career. He’s very good as a team defender. But he is as injury-prone as they come.
- Dosunmu, a second-round pick out of Illinois, was the surprise of the 2021 rookie class. He has an innate ability to slither his way to the rim, and he gets into players defensively. He does need to improve as a help defender.
- Gafford is an A+ athlete. His shot-blocking skills are elite, and he can go up and grab lobs with the best of them.
- Clarkson always seems to be in the mix for the Sixth Man award, winning it in 2021. He’s a microwave scorer, but he can be targeted defensively.
26. Derrick Rose, Knicks
27. Malik Monk, Kings
28. Immanuel Quickley, Knicks
29. Kenrich Williams, Thunder
30. John Wall, Clippers
- Rose has developed into a great bench scorer in the later part of his career. He still finds ways to get to the rim consistently.
- Monk drastically improved his defense from his Hornets days, which was one of the biggest weaknesses in his game. His shooting and effort were rare bright spots for the Lakers last season.
- Quickley struggled a bit initially when he was tasked with more point guard duties last season, but he finished the year strong. He’s got good creation skills and a great floater.
- Williams has earned the nickname “Kenny Hustle” because of the frenetic way that he plays both ends of the court. He’s turned himself from a fringe NBA player to a cult favorite and solid jack-of-all-trades role player.
- It’s not totally clear what Wall has left in the tank at this point. He sat out all of the 2019-20 season with injuries, only played 40 games the next year and sat out all of last year because the Rockets were focused on rebuilding. But the five-time All-Star did average 20.6 points per game in 2020-21.