How does the New York Knicks bench compare to others in the NBA?

The New York Knicks were blessed last season with a team that exceeded expectations to finally make the playoffs for the first time since 2013. One of the major components of that 2020-21 success was the depth of the roster.

Roughly half of what became known as “The Big-15,” the Knicks bench was fantastic all season long. Multiple players stepped up when necessary to secure wins and to patch up any injury woes. The eventual acquisition of Derrick Rose from the Detroit Pistons was the final piece in unlocking a great bench unit with a ton of impressive weapons.

The New York Knicks elite bench is returning for this season

Promptly, the organization brought back that group. Rose was re-signed, along with free agents Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson.

Burks provided plenty of buckets both on and off-ball as well as countless clutch baskets throughout the year. Noel and Gibson both took on larger roles while the team was without Mitchell Robinson. Both big-men had a part in the Knicks defense remaining elite despite Robinson missing two-thirds of the season.

And let’s not forget the rookies. We are about to see year 2 of sniper Immanuel Quickley and rim rocker Obi Toppin. The sophomores should once again make for a wonderful pairing in the team’s offensive attack.

So, we know New York’s bench is one of the league’s best,  but that still begs the question, how well do the Knicks’ reserves rival other the bench units of other NBA teams? What other NBA franchises feature an elite bench?

In this article, I will list four teams that I think stack up against the Knicks when talking about the backup players. Not only will I be comparing and contrasting each team’s bench head-to-head, I will also research how well a team’s bench players fit in as individuals with the starting lineup.

Onto the first team.