2010-11 NBA Power Rankings, Fallen Out of Favor: Top 15 Stars Riding the Pine
The NBA is loaded with talented basketball players and some of them are not part of a starting five, because they have been relegated to the bench. On other teams, some of these players could easily become starters.
The NBA team bench is not the most glamorous place to be. It’s a place where hard work usually goes unnoticed by fans that usually reserve their accolades for the starting five.
Some of these players have fully accepted their supporting roles and the statistical disparity that goes with it, while other ego ridden stars are none too happy to be playing second fiddle.
Nevertheless, the supporting cast has an important role when it comes to game control and momentum situations, and all too often it’s the guys who come off the pine that inspire their team to victory.
Most of the bench players in the league are simply not good enough to make the starting five of any team.
This slide show is not considering those players. Instead, it will consider the NBA stars that are good enough to play on the starting five of many other teams in the NBA, just not their own. But their contributions coming off the bench have been beneficial for their teams in ways that are sometimes difficult to quantify.
Indeed, sometimes it is impossible to extrapolate the true value these athletes have to their teams. The synergy that a team like the L.A. Lakers exhibits between it’s starters and it’s bench is conducive to overall success. It is perpetual motion in it’s highest form.
Here, you will get a glimpse of the top 15 players buried on NBA benches that have fallen out of favor.
Jason Thompson, PF: Sacramento Kings
1 of 15
Age: 24
Height: 6 ft 11
Draft Year/Pick: 2008, 12th pick (1st round) out of Rider by the Kings
NBA Experience: 2
Accomplishments: Nothing significant yet
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Jason Thompson has got length and in only his 3rd season has become a major player in the NBA.
He does have the ability to start for many other teams in the league.
The Kings look to have a good year but the West is very tough.
This season Thompson’s minutes have been cut almost in half, but they should increase. When they do, so will his production.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 6 | 15.5 | .394 | .000 | .750 | 4.8 | 1.3 | 5.3 |
Career | 163 | 29.2 | .482 | .056 | .704 | 7.8 | 1.4 | 11.5 |
Udonis Haslem, PF: Miami Heat
2 of 15
Age: 30
Height: 6 ft 8
Draft Year/Pick: 2002 (undrafted) out of Florida
NBA Experience: 8
Accomplishments: 1 x NBA Championship
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Udonis Haslem is a grinder and is known for his rebounding prowess.
His defense will be counted on to help the Miami Heat go deep into the playoffs. Especially when everyone finally discovers that the man who starts in front of him (Chris Bosh) is much too soft.
From a bench role perspective, Udonis is doing a good job averaging 6.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 8 | 25.1 | .440 | .000 | .786 | 8.3 | 0.4 | 6.9 |
Career | 525 | 30.8 | .499 | .000 | .763 | 8.1 | 1.1 | 10.0 |
Rudy Fernandez, SG: Portland Trailblazers
3 of 15
Rudy Fernandez, SF: Portland Trailblazers
Age: 25
Height: 6 ft 6
Draft Year/Pick: 2007, 25th pick (1st round) out of Spain by the Suns
NBA Experience: 3
Accomplishments: 2009 NBA All-Rookie Team
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Rudy Fernandez has a lot of potential but unfortunately it will not be realized while wearing a Trailblazer’s uniform
In fact, Fernandez does not like being a backup on a deep Portland team.
You could say he is out of favor and a trade looks imminent.
Fernandez could help many teams in the league as a starter.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 7 | 19.6 | .386 | .367 | .800 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 7.6 |
Career | 147 | 24.3 | .406 | .386 | .849 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 9.3 |
J.R. Smith, SG: Denver Nuggets
4 of 15
Age: 25
Height: 6 ft 6
Draft Year/Pick: 2005, 18th pick (1st round) by the Hornets
NBA Experience: 5
Accomplishments: Nothing significant
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: J.R. Smith is an up and coming SG in the NBA.
He has the talent to put up big numbers but his minutes are limited on the bench.
From a bench role perspective, J.R. is doing a good job averaging 9.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game.
Smith will help his powerful team get deep into the playoffs.
With the whole Carmelo Anthony extravaganza that puts a giant question mark over the Denver Nuggets organization, Smith will be counted on for his contributions.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 8 | 22.3 | .343 | .391 | .727 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 9.1 |
Career | 432 | 23.7 | .426 | .368 | .742 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 12.5 |
Marcus Thornton, SG: New Orleans Hornets
5 of 15
Age: 23
Height: 6 ft 4
Draft Year/Pick: 2009, 43rd pick (2nd round) out of LSU by the Hornets
NBA Experience: 1
Accomplishments: NBA Rookie 2nd Team
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: OK, Marcus Thornton is a wild shot in the dark because he showed so much promise in his rookie season that Dime Magazine said he was on the cusp of stardom. This year he was supposed to make the starting lineup but has been a dud during the preseason and his minutes off the bench have been limited.
After last season’s All-Star game, this rookie averaged 20 points per game. This included scoring a franchise record high 23 points in one quarter, which led to a career high of 37 points in that game. He accomplished all this while CP3 was out half the season due to injury.
You could say he has fallen out of favor.
Marcus is young and loaded with energy. Hopefully he’ll find his game and help the New Orleans Hornets in an anticipated playoff run.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 6 | 14.8 | .452 | .500 | .667 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 7.3 |
Career | 79 | 24.8 | .451 | .377 | .811 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 13.9 |
Shawn Marion, SF: Dallas Mavericks
6 of 15
Age: 32
Height: 6 ft 7
Draft Year/Pick: 1999 - 9th pick (1st round) out of UNLV by the Phoenix Suns
NBA Experience: 11
Accomplishments: 4 x NBA All-star
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Shawn Marion looks destined to ride the pine in Dallas. Remember him? He is one of the most versatile athletes in the NBA that can play positions 1 to 5. Marion has decent numbers all around. In hindsight, he never should have left Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns.
You could say he has fallen out of favor.
Marion has the the raw athletic prowess to help many teams in the league both on or off the bench. His contribution off the bench in Dallas could be significant during a title run.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 6 | 25.8 | .447 | .200 | .750 | 6.5 | 0.8 | 8.7 |
Career | 826 | 37.0 | .483 | .335 | .816 | 9.6 | 2.0 | 17.2 |
Matt Barnes, SF: L.A. Lakers
7 of 15
Age: 30
Height: 6 ft 7
Draft Year/Pick: 2002, 17th pick (2nd round) out of UCLA by the Grizzlies
NBA Experience: 8
Accomplishments: Nothing significant
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Matt Barnes is one of the L.A. Lakers new free agent acquisitions brought in to bolster the bench.
So far this year the Lakers bench which has been dubbed “the renegades” have been fluid in their support of the high octane starting five and Matt is putting up some decent numbers, both offensively and defensively.
You could say he is a happy camper in his supporting role.
Matt is driven to help the Lakers win another championship and his contributions off the bench will go a long way in accomplishing that goal.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 8 | 20.8 | .475 | .353 | .692 | 6.1 | 2.4 | 9.1 |
Career | 452 | 21.3 | .445 | .330 | .719 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 7.3 |
Shannon Brown, SG: L.A. Lakers
8 of 15
Age: 24
Height: 6 ft 4
Draft Year/Pick: 2006, 25th pick (1st round) out of Michigan State by the Cavaliers
NBA Experience: 4
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Shannon Brown is an extremely athletic player who has one of the highest vertical leaps in the NBA at 45 inches. He has been a role player for the Lakers and has shown significant improvements in his play this year.
So far this year the Lakers bench which has been dubbed “the renegades” have been fluid in their support of the high octane starting five and Shannon is putting up some decent numbers.
You could say he is a happy camper in his supporting role.
Shannon will be supporting Kobe Bryant, who is coming off knee surgery, more than he ever has before. He will get his minutes to shine even more than he already has this season.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 8 | 18.1 | .491 | .500 | .800 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 9.0 |
Career | 182 | 15.2 | .425 | .341 | .779 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 6.2 |
Glen Davis, PF: Boston Celtics
9 of 15
Age: 24
Height: 6 ft 9
Draft Year/Pick: 2007, 5th pick (2nd round) out of LSU by the Boston Celtics
NBA Experience: 3
Accomplishments: 1 x NBA Champion
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Glen Davis is only 24 but he will be called upon by the Celtics to help them win another championship. He has been a role player for the Celtics and has shown significant improvements in his play this year.
In fact, Davis is averaging 30.4 minutes per game and is proving to be a workhorse.
You could say he is a happy camper in his supporting role but has ambitions for more.
Davis will continue to get his minutes and his production should continue to improve.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 8 | 30.4 | .571 | .000 | .900 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 12.3 |
Career | 207 | 18.1 | .459 | .222 | .706 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 6.2 |
Antawn Jamison, PF: Cleveland Cavaliers
10 of 15
Age: 34
Height: 6 ft 9
Draft Year/Pick: 1998, 25th pick (1st round) out of North Carolina by the Raptors
NBA Experience: 8
Accomplishments: NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2004), 2 x All-Star, NBA All-Rookie Team
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Antawn Jamison was a superstar. Now in Cleveland and finding himself in a bench role, he is still capable of putting up excellent numbers.
In fact, Jamison could be a starter on many teams
From a bench role perspective, Jamison is doing a good job averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, but he is capable of so much more...
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 4 | 23.0 | .406 | .462 | .400 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 8.5 |
Career | 868 | 36.7 | .456 | .348 | .728 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 19.8 |
Louis Williams, PG: Philadelphia 76ers
11 of 15
Age: 24
Height: 6 ft 1
Draft Year/Pick: 2005, 15th pick (2nd round) by the 76ers
NBA Experience: 5
Accomplishments: 2005 Naismith Prep Player of the Year
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Louis Williams is an up and coming PG in the NBA.
While he is still coming off the bench for Philly, his numbers have been so good the call to start may not be far off. He is really coming into his own.
So far this season he is averaging 18.8 points and 2.4 assists in 26 minutes.
Williams might just be the wild card that pushes the 76ers into the playoffs.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 7 | 25.9 | .436 | .385 | .870 | 1.4 | 4.0 | 17.9 |
Career | 323 | 20.8 | .430 | .326 | .789 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 10.2 |
Jamal Crawford, SG: Atlanta Hawks
12 of 15
Age: 30
Height: 6 ft 5
Draft Year/Pick: 2000, 8th pick (1st round) out of Michigan by the Cavaliers
NBA Experience: 10
Accomplishments: NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2010)
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Jamal Crawford has got skills and can contribute well off the bench.
He does have the ability to start for many other teams in the league, but is comfortable in his role with Atlanta.
Atlanta looks to have a good year and their big start this season was a result of depth from the bench including contributions from guys like Crawford.
The Hawks will have a hard time getting past the Magic. Heat, and Celtics in the East... but nothing is impossible and they will have to count on their 6th man of the year.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 7 | 29.7 | .436 | .267 | .919 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 15.7 |
Career | 683 | 32.4 | .409 | .351 | .846 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 15.5 |
Manu Ginobili, SG: San Antonio Spurs
13 of 15
Age: 33
Height: 6 ft 6
Draft Year/Pick: 1999, 28th pick (2nd round) out of Argentina by the San Antonio Spurs
NBA Experience: 11
Accomplishments: 3 x NBA Champion, 1 x All-Star, Sixth Man of the Year (2008)
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Manu has been an intrinsic force for the San Antonio Spurs.
His role off the bench has become almost legendary and he is one of the best sixth men in the history of the game.
Manu is always a big contributor and this year is no different. He is currently averaging 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
If the Spurs are able to add another title to their trophy case, they will need Manu to be firing on all cylinders.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 6 | 33.8 | .458 | .367 | .862 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 21.8 |
Career | 559 | 27.9 | .452 | .376 | .828 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 15.0 |
Lamar Odom, PF: L.A. Lakers
14 of 15
Age: 31
Height: 6 ft 10
Draft Year/Pick: 1999, 4th pick (1st round) out of Rhode Island by the L.A. Clippers
NBA Experience: 11
Accomplishments: 2 x NBA Champion
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: Lamar Odom has spent most of his career being called overrated and has never really looked comfortable until this year. But quite honestly, he is possibly the most underrated player in the league next to the New Orleans Hornets' David West.
While he is starting in Bynum’s absence forcing Pau Gasol to the center spot, when Bynum returns... look out! The Lakers will be even more formidable than they are now.
Lamar seems to except his supporting role with the Lakers and is possibly the best 6th man in the history of the game.
He could quite easily be a franchise player for any number of top 15 teams in the league, yet he seems to be content to win titles on a stacked Lakers team.
The season is still early, but Odom is looking like he will have a career year.
With Odom playing the way he is, the Lakers will be hard to stop. He is the Laker's X Factor.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 8 | 34.4 | .621 | .667 | .471 | 10.8 | 3.4 | 15.8 |
Career | 755 | 35.9 | .465 | .318 | .699 | 8.9 | 4.1 | 14.7 |
Shaquille O’Neal, C: Boston Celtics
15 of 15
Age: 38
Height: 7 ft 1
Draft Year/Pick: 1992, 1st pick (1st round) out of LSU by the Magic
NBA Experience: 18
Accomplishments: 4 x NBA Champion, 3 x Finals MVP, 1 x Season MVP, 15 x NBA All-Star, etc.
Player Statistics: See table below
2010-11 NBA Outlook: What is there to say about Shaquille O’Neal that has not already been said. He tends to run off at the mouth and he craves attention, but he is stilled loved among NBA fans unlike villains LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He is in the twilight of his much accomplished NBA career.
Shaq will be most remembered for bringing the Lakers 3 championships in a row almost all by himself.
His new supporting role with the Celtics is a new one for him but one that he seems to have accepted. Shaq was brought in for one reason only and that is to help the Celtics overcome the L.A. Lakers should they meet in the NBA finals.
You could say he’s a shadow of his former self which would be true, but he is still an imposing figure in the paint.
O’Neal will be kept fresh in order to get the most out of his potential during the playoffs. He will do everything in his power to make sure he gets his 5th title before Kobe Bryant gets his 6th. The Boston Celtics are counting on it.
He is THE X Factor.
Season & Career | ||||||||
G | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
2010-11 Season | 3 | 20.7 | .611 | .000 | .400 | 5.3 | 1.0 | 8.7 |
Career | 1173 | 35.1 | .581 | .045 | .527 | 11.0 | 2.6 | 24.1 |
