5 NBA Reserves Who Could Soon Push for Starting Roles
Patience isn't a virtue many NBA teams can afford to practice, especially when discussing interchangeable contributors who flounder early in the season.
Take the Los Angeles Lakers, for instance.
Carlos Boozer may be a 13-year veteran, but with his skills waning and effectiveness deteriorating—and a team-worst net rating of minus-17.9 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com—there's a need for some fresh blood in the starting lineup.
Which is where reserves like Ed Davis come in.
As starters drained of potential struggle to find their footing, backups possessing exponentially more upside can play their way into more substantial roles with displays of impressive consistency.
Whether it's Davis and the Lakers or K.J. McDaniels with the Philadelphia 76ers, we've compiled a list of reserves who are starting to push for starting gigs with their superlative play.
Ed Davis, PF, Los Angeles Lakers
1 of 5
With the length and athleticism necessary to make an impact in the paint, Ed Davis has shown enough throughout the season's first few weeks to earn a starting spot at the 4 next to Jordan Hill.
The Los Angeles Lakers' defense has been generally appalling, but Davis has represented a lone bright spot, limiting opponents to 53.8 percent shooting inside of six feet, a mark that's 4.8 percent better than the league average on such shots, according to NBA.com.
He especially deserves a look when you consider how horrific Carlos Boozer's defense has been by comparison.
According to NBA.com, Boozer's defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) sits at 119.0, while Davis' is hovering at 112.3. Additionally, opponents are converting 66.7 percent of their shots inside of six feet when defended by Boozer, per NBA.com.
And as Grantland's Zach Lowe noted on Twitter during the Lakers' 107-102 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night, "Carlos Boozer's go-to move on pick-and-roll defense now is to just try desperately to kick the ball and stop play."
While the comment was made in jest, Lowe's observation points to the disparity in defensive effort Davis and Boozer make on a nightly basis.
Devin Harris, PG, Dallas Mavericks
2 of 5
The Dallas Mavericks opted to go with Jameer Nelson over Devin Harris as their starting point guard, but the results haven't been particularly pretty to this point.
Following Tuesday night's 106-98 win against Sacramento Kings, Nelson is averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep.
Compare those to career averages of 12.5 points, 5.4 dimes and .442/.375 shooting splits, and Nelson's play has left plenty to be desired, as ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon noted:
"Ask Nelson about his offensive production and he’ll quickly redirect the conversation to playing with energy on both ends of the floor, a priority that has been heavily emphasized by coach Rick Carlisle since Sunday night’s lackadaisical loss to the Miami Heat.
"
“That’s more important than me scoring -- me being out there and being a presence on the defensive end, talking and doing things with energy,” Nelson said. “The offensive end will take care of itself. The numbers are going to be your numbers, your percentages are going to be your percentages. That’s something you can’t worry about."
Conversely, Devin Harris has thrived off the pine, averaging 10.1 points and 4.6 helpers while posting shooting splits of .446/.357.
And after Nelson appeared to injure his right hamstring against the Kings, Harris may find himself slotted into the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
John Henson, PF, Milwaukee Bucks
3 of 5
Jason Kidd has his hands full trying to dole out playing time in a crowded frontcourt, but John Henson remains criminally underutilized in the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation.
While his per-game numbers aren't worth discussing due to the paltry 12.1 minutes he's playing through eight games, Henson's per-36-minute production continues to astound.
According to NBA.com, Henson's enormous wingspan has allowed him to average 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per 36 minutes through eight games.
While Kidd would admittedly lose a bit of floor spacing by keeping Jabari Parker at the 3 (where he's logged 79 percent of his minutes, according to Basketball-Reference.com) and swapping Henson in for Ersan Ilyasova, the latter is only converting 21.4 percent of his triples to date.
And with the Bucks currently in possession the league's No. 2-ranked defense (94.2 points allowed per 100 possessions), according to NBA.com, Henson's length could be a lethal match when fused with Larry Sanders' expertise as a rim protector.
On that note, it's worth mentioning the Bucks are actually four points better per 100 defensive possessions with Henson on the floor, making him a viable alternative at the 4 moving forward.
K.J. McDaniels, SG, Philadelphia 76ers
4 of 5
So far, K.J. McDaniels' decision to bet on his explosive skill set and sign a one-year, non-guaranteed rookie contract in lieu of a more conventional pact is paying major dividends.
Although he's exclusively functioned as a second-unit cog to this point, McDaniels is making a major impact on both ends of the floor for a Philadelphia 76ers team starved of consistent two-way threats.
Offensively, McDaniels is knocking down a team-best 42.1 percent of his three-point shots, including 43.8 percent (7-of-16) of his attempts above the break, per NBA.com.
Defensively, McDaniels has been a shot-blocking machine, rejecting 12 shots through seven games. To date, that's more than Dwight Howard, Andre Drummond and Tim Duncan have recorded.
As a result, McDaniels leads all shooting guards with 1.7 blocks per game, according to ESPN.com.
And considering the Sixers' starting lineup is entering a period of transition, a spot may soon open up on the wing.
In Michael Carter-Williams' absence, Hollis Thompson primarily started at shooting guard, with Luc Mbah a Moute shifting to the 3. However, with Carter-Williams on the mend and Thompson's sharpshooting capabilities a more natural fit at the 3, McDaniels should garner starting consideration at the 2 sooner rather than later.
“It would mean a lot,” McDaniels said of being in the starting lineup, according to Philly.com's Keith Pompey. “But I still have to go in there and do my job, you know coming in here, bring excitement either coming off the bench or starting.”
Austin Rivers, SG, New Orleans Pelicans
5 of 5
Yes, it's early, but Eric Gordon's performance in six starts at shooting guard has raised major red flags.
In 33.5 minutes per game, Gordon is shooting 29.3 percent from the field and an appalling 19 percent from three while recording a player efficiency rating of 3.6, per Basketball-Reference.com.
And while it may be controversial to bench a player who's making $14.9 this season and $15.5 next year assuming he exercises his player option, according to ShamSports.com, a role change may be necessary in order to snap Gordon out of his funk.
In Gordon's place, Austin Rivers could serve as a viable replacement, especially after starting the season by averaging seven points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from three in nearly 21 minutes off the bench.
Playing 77 percent of his minutes at shooting guard thus far, according to Basketball-Reference.com, Rivers has knocked down 57.1 percent of his shots against "very tight" defense and 63.6 percent of his attempts against "tight" defense, according to NBA.com's player tracking data.
He's not a long-term answer at the 2, but Rivers represents a slightly more palatable alternative given Gordon's atrocious start.
All statistics courtesy of NBA.com and current as of Nov. 12 unless noted otherwise.
