Bench scoring is extremely overrated. Moreover, the cries that the Golden State Warriors have the worst bench in the league due to their league-low 23.0 bench points per game are misguided.
The Warriors bench has struggled mightily this season, but this is not best exemplified by the number of points they score.
The primary reason that the team is last in the NBA in bench production is that their reserves play the second-fewest minutes in the league. This has as much to do with the strength of the starters as it does with the weaknesses of the bench.
That, and the worst bench-shooting percentage in the league (38.6 percent).
But there is still more to a bench than scoring and even scoring efficiency. There's rebounding, defense and ability to take care of the basketball. Just like a starting unit, the second string should be evaluated in all phases of the game.
The Warriors bench leads the entire league in rebounds per minute, block the third-most shots per minute and are in the middle of the pack in turnovers per minute.
So while the lack of scoring is troubling, the perception that it's the NBA's worst second unit is a little extreme.
That being said, the bench is bad. Only Draymond Green and the injured Jermaine O'Neal post positive plus-minus ratings, and two key reserves—Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights—are posting upsetting differentials.
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