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.
The New York Knicks bench vs the Los Angeles Lakers bench
For as much as the purple and gold (or should I say the purple and old?) have gotten clowned for the team’s overall age, it can’t be denied that the Lakers bench will be very good in 2021-22.
Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony is the headliner for LA’s projected bench unit. Anthony is bringing top-notch catch-and-shoot 3-point shooting and scoring ability to Hollywood in his chase for a ring.
While it is unclear exactly who will be filling in at the starting shooting guard slot, Los Angeles is nothing if not bountiful when it comes to players who can take on that role. The Lakers have a huge stockpile of wings ready to launch threes. This group includes Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Malik Monk.
Talen Horton-Tucker is a solid young player who has many fans in the organization due to his shot-creation and promise as a playmaker and defender.
A pair of former Lakers have made a return. Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard are back for their second and third stints in LA, respectively. The team also acquired former all-star center DeAndre Jordan and 2019 rookie standout Kendrick Nunn in free agency.
The Lakers are expected to be contenders regardless of how deep their team is, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that their supporting cast looks this good. Not to mention just about any player can find their fit when playing alongside LeBron James.
All of these players will have a very defined role playing alongside ‘Bron, Anthony Davis, and now Russell Westbrook. Those three will bear much of the burden. Everyone else’s job is to hit their open shots, play defense, or both.
While I certainly think the Knicks bench is more talented, there is no question that many if not all of the Lakers reserves are a better fit when swapped with a member of the starting five. That’s the luxury of having three all-stars.
Do I think the Knicks bench is better, I’d say yes, but not by much. Obi Toppin (shooting), Nerlens Noel (rebounding), and Taj Gibson (not really great at any one thing) all have qualities about them that can hamper the quality of certain Knicks lineups.
You don’t really see that with the Lakers unless you go out of your way to force an unrealistic lineup. I see it as much less of a concern for the Lakers to mask any individuals player’s shortcomings when compared to New York.
The New York Knicks Bench vs The Brooklyn Nets Bench
We move the conversation from the favorites out West to the favorites in the East.
Kyrie Irving’s vaccination hesitancy may stop the Brooklyn Nets from reaching the NBA Finals, but the team’s depth is unlikely to do so.
As was the case with the Lakers, much of the Nets bench will be a revolving door of players who are basically not asked to do much beyond hitting threes and playing defense (Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, and DeAndre’ Bembry stand out here). But make no mistake, this Nets team has some studs that are capable of much more.
Of course, much of the hype surrounds former all-stars Blake Griffin (who may start at center), LaMarcus Aldridge (ditto), and now Paul Millsap. Millsap definitely the one who looks closer to the player he was in his prime of those three. He is also the shiny new toy that can do it all as a small-ball center. While Griffin and Aldridge will be sometimes questionable as floor spacers and paint protectors, Millsap should be stout in those areas and more consistently.
James Johnson can even operate in a similar, more watered-down version of the role Millsap will play. Nicolas Claxton is the third potential option to start at center. Regardless of where he will be in the rotation, you can count on him still being this team’s best defensive big.
Cam Thomas is already looking like a diamond in the rough. The rookie wing was getting buckets in Summer League and has remained doing so in the preseason.
And finally, on the nights where Brooklyn might be missing Irving, Patty Mills is a pretty darn good replacement. Mills can shoot and pour in points with the best of them.
Once again, I undoubtedly think the Knicks have the better bench from a talent standpoint. Also, the Knicks unit is more capable both offensively and defensively.
However, I additionally have to once again acknowledge that because the Knicks lack the star power the Nets possess, many of Brooklyn’s players naturally fit better with the starters. The role of these bench players is very clear and unlikely to change most nights.
A starting five of Irving, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Joe Harris, and Blake Griffin is an offensive juggernaut but very flawed on the other end. When inserting any two of Carter, Brown, Millsap, and Claxton into the equation with your three superstars, you can create an amazing scoring group that can also play respectable defense.
By the way, I will give the Nets credit by saying that Patty Mills and Paul Millsap on their best days are better players than those on the Knicks bench, with the exception of Derrick Rose.
And so, the crosstown rivalry (if we really want to entertain that narrative) thickens a bit. Both of New York’s squads are home to two of the NBA’s best benches, but I’m giving the advantage to the Knicks, obviously *insert maniacal laugh here*.
The New York Knicks Bench vs the Boston Celtics Bench
As much as I would love for it to not be true, the Boston Celtics are a very good looking and much-improved team.
The biggest issue with Boston last season was their bench. The Celtics were hemorrhaging when it came to depth. As the season dragged on, it was too much for their starters to make up for as far more well-rounded teams jumped them in the standings.
Al Horford is back after leaving the franchise in free agency in 2019. A player as diverse as Horford will look to help the team improve on both sides of the floor. Robert Williams III may be the bench center behind Horford, but it’s too early to tell. Williams, a Mitchell Robinson-esque type of player, would provide quality minutes in either role. Former Knick Enes Kanter will also see a bit of time, and we all know he can do a ton of damage with his rebounding and paint scoring.
Dennis Schroder is another big addition. One of the largest needs for Boston was a quality option at the point guard position, and Schroder is that and more. He and Marcus Smart will be a great floor general duo to watch. Smart seems like he will be the starter, but either of these players will automatically be one of the best bench point guards in the league if that is the role decided for them.
The Celtics have two other guards to look forward to in Josh Richardson and Payton Pritchard. Pritchard is a promising second-year player who excelled during the 2021 Summer League, while Richardson is a solid two-way shot creator.
Jabari Parker and Juancho Hernangomez are offensive-minded forwards that will fill out the rotation, spelling Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in limited minutes.
The clear advantage here for the Knicks’ bench over the C’s bench is the chemistry. New York’s ensemble of Rose, Quickley, Burks, Toppin, Noel, and Gibson played nearly an entire season together. They have proved the ability to outscore their opponents while also holding them at bay.
The Celtics have several new moving parts in the rotation. No matter how talented a group of players are, every new team is going to experience some level of getting acclimated. Boston won’t be able to avoid the growing pains that come with a rotation overhaul. Therefore, these players may even struggle to fit alongside the Celtics’ veterans at first.
Lastly, you might argue that the C’s bench is better because on paper they have more notoriety, but you’d be wrong. New York’s bench isn’t prone to being exposed based on what some of their weaknesses may be, something Boston may struggle with. There are too many players with glaring weaknesses that can be exploited. Not to mention the only reliable scoring and shooting option on this Boston bench is Schroder.
The Knicks work so well as a team on defense and they deploy many skilled offensive individuals.
Advantage: New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks Bench vs The Utah Jazz Bench
Utah’s bench is the only one of the featured groups that I would say truly give the Knicks a run for their money.
The Jazz made several additions this offseason to bolster their depth. For a team that already employed the first and second place finishers for Sixth Man of the Year in Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, they clearly felt they couldn’t have too many quality bench options.
After all, why should they? This is a team that dominated last year, in the Western Conference no less. The Jazz are well short of being a championship team come playoff time, so the message is clear for 2021-22: they aren’t messing around.
The brilliance of Clarkson and Ingles is now surrounded by Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, and Hassan Whiteside. These players all compliment the starters very well and should be seamless fits.
Gay can go on a scoring or shooting tear at any moment, which is overkill when you consider the team already has Clarkson, Donovan Mitchell, and Bojan Bogdanovich.
Paschall is a young and burly power forward who has shown promise as an inside scoring and rebounding presence. He is a nice contrast at the four to the smaller perimeter-oriented Royce O’Neal.
Whiteside is a very, very water down version of Rudy Gobert. But, that is what makes him a good backup to Gobert. In a limited capacity, Whiteside can still be very effective. He can do everything Gobert can do: rim run, rebound at a very high level, and protect the rim by producing elite block numbers.
While I believe Rose is a better player than Clarkson and Ingles, they aren’t far behind him. All three players are incredible in their roles. I’d say all three are well ahead of the rest of the players the Knicks and Jazz have on the bench.
That being said, not only do the Jazz have two players that can contribute at such a high level, which is a clear edge over New York, the Jazz IMO also have players that are a better fit with the starters because they many of the Jazz players share the same strengths.
The New York Knicks stood pat, which was the right decision because their bench is a proven success with room to grow. The Jazz took their great bench and made it even better. That’s pretty crazy. The Knicks are more balanced, but that Utah bench while lacking defensively is potentially potent on offense.
Both of these reserve units are incredibly exceptional and are my 1A and 1B benches in the NBA.