The Best NBA Players Who Never Play

Players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin get all of the love, so why not give some to the lesser known players?

These are the guys that only get in the game when it's out of hand, aka they won't be getting a lot of playing time throughout a championship run.

Who are these all-stars of the pine? Read on to find out.

Renaldo Balkman, New York Knicks

Forward Renaldo Balkman was once booed by New York Knicks fans on draft day in 2006.

Since then, he hasn't received much playing time—the most in his career was 15.6 minutes per game in his rookie year. The past few seasons, Balkman has been buried on the end of the benches of the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks thanks to the depth both teams have had at the forward position.

While he isn't much of an offensive threat, he is a high-energy player with great defensive instincts and speed down the court. During the next Knicks blowout, keep an eye on Balkman as he can shine against second-tier competition. 

Malcolm Lee, Minnesota Timberwolves

While this is expected to change within the next few years, for now, shooting guard Malcolm Lee is deeply entrenched on the Minnesota Timberwolves bench.

But Lee brings great defensive ability and athleticism to the table. He is also good at creating his own shot. 

He needs to work on his offensive consistency and his three-point range, but his best basketball is most likely ahead of him.

It will be during his work in blowouts that he can refine those aspects of his game. He will easily be one of the best players in those situations until he finally gains a spot in the rotation.  

Quentin Richardson, Orlando Magic

Shooting guard Quentin Richardson has spent 11 years in the NBA with five different teams.

His biggest problem—a lack of shooting consistency.

He is a great three-point shooter, but he isn't consistent enough to stay on the court long enough to showcase his defensive ability.

But as a player that's coming deep off of the bench, he's one of the better options in the league. If he could just get all of his pieces together, and lose a couple pounds, he could be in the rotation for the Orlando Magic.

Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks

Jeremy Lin was one of the most sought-after free agents after not being drafted out of Harvard in the 2010 NBA draft.

Since then, he has served as the third-string point guard for the Golden State Warriors and is now riding the pine for the New York Knicks.

He has good ball-handling skills, can drive to the hoop and can rebound the ball well. His biggest weakness is his lack of experience with the speed of the NBA as compared to Ivy League basketball. With experience, his passing and turnover ratio will improve.

But it is very clear that he possesses the talent to be a solid backup in the NBA. For now, he will have to settle for very limited playing time with the Knicks.

Earl Clark, Orlando Magic

Earl Clark has been a member of the Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns, twice each.

When looking at his offensive play, it's easy to see why he has switched teams so often. But his defensive capabilities are what keep him on NBA rosters.

Clark is an above average defender against small forwards and despite being fairly weak, he is also very good at defending power forwards.

If he can ever develop any kind of offensive game, he can be a rotation player for the Magic. Until then, he will simply help lead to strong defensive stands in blowouts and possibly a few fast breaks.

Craig Smith, Portland Trailblazers

Craig Smith brings a lot to the table for only being 6'7" but he has never been able to showcase much of it during his career.

He is a very undersized power forward, but he understands how to use his size as an advantage. Despite that, his playing time has decreased each year of his career as his various teams improved and had less of a need for an undersized big man.

But when Smith takes the court, he is always one of the most efficient players out there.