Remember, just because a player isn’t starting it doesn’t necessarily he won’t get ample playing time. When the players starting in front of bench players get hurt, the first guys off the bench will benefit in getting an increased amount of playing time. Here are the potential sixth men for the 30 NBA teams. These could change throughout the year depending on player health and performance.  

 

ATLANTA HAWKS: John Collins-F: Collins has shown that not only does he have speed, but aggressiveness in the lane and even though it may take a month of waiting for steady scoring and rebounding, Collins was drafted as the centerpiece for the Hawks frontcourt rebuild and his playing time will increase as the season continues. 

BOSTON CELTICS: Marcus Smart-G: Smart will be the first guard off the bench and even though he’s a hound on the defensive end and will help with steals and rebounding, his scoring will be a bit all over the place. Once he starts to make bad decisions, things tend to get worse as the game continues. Smart should play over 20 minutes per game, but it’s never easy determining how productive he will be for our teams per week. 

BROOKLYN NETS: Allen Crabbe-G/F: Crabbe can play at multiple positions and he’s a very streaky shooter. There will be nights you’ll want to buy Crabbe’s jersey and others that will make you want to drop him. He’ll provide minor assist and steals help as he can sub in at PG, SG and even SF, but hopefully for him, his erratic shooting and shot selection was left back in Portland. 

CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Frank Kaminsky-F/C: Kaminsky will be able to stretch the floor and he’s become a reliable mid-range shooter. Kaminsky will provide some rebounding help, but you’ll mainly get scoring from right inside and outside the arc. He’s developed a drive game, which will be useful when Dwight Howard is doubled on the low block. Expect to see a lot of screens from Kaminsky, but he will also serve as the bailout option at the perimeter. 

CHICAGO BULLS: Lauri Markkanen-F: It doesn’t matter if the shot is contested or not, Markkanen has an excellent looking shot and shot release and even though he won’t start at the beginning of the season, this can absolutely change. Markkanen could end up not only being a starter down the road, but he could very well lead the Bulls in scoring. Markkanen has shown ability to run the floor and that will help with outlet passes. He has very solid court awareness and can shoot from anywhere on the court. 

CLEVLAND CAVALIERS: J.R. Smith-G: If there was ever a time for Smith to have a chip on his shoulder, right now is that time because veteran Dwayne Wade has essentially ousted Smith from the starting lineup. Smith has had a poor preseason, but streaky scoring is what you get from Smith. Smith will lead the Cavs second unit and can rotate to either guard spot. As scoring dependant as he can be, Smith will have those surprising games in which he does grab a lot of rebounds. He’ll be a minor help with steals. 

DALLAS MAVERICKS: Nerlens Noel-C: The Mavs are going to have to keep a careful watch regarding his health, but as much of a health risk as he is, Noel can absolutely compile double-doubles and he makes impressive cuts to the basket for a player his size. If Noel can stay healthy, he’ll also provide consistency with blocks. The good news for Noel is that Dallas doesn’t have a lot of depth and once he proves that he can stay healthy, he’ll log more minutes as the season progresses. 

DENVER NUGGETS: Will Barton-G/F: Barton has a strong post game for a player his size. He’s been successful in drawing contact and the Nuggets will give him 25-30 minutes of playing time. Barton will help out mainly with scoring and rebounding and will find open looks from the elbow. Even though the Nuggets have depth, Barton is securely in the rotation and will be relied night in and night out. 

DETROIT PISTONS: Jon Leuer-F/C: For a while in pre-season, it seemed like the Pistons Coaches were going to give Leuer the starting nod and bring Tobias Harris off the bench to dominate the opposition’s second unit. Leuer is excellent at creating from the elbow. Whether it’s driving down the middle or taking jumpers from the elbow, Leuer has proven to be an offensive threat and could sub in at multiple positions. Leuer is also good at following up his own shots and that will benefit him on the glass. 

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Andre Iguodala-F: Iggy is not so fantasy friendly. His purpose of being in is to play defense on the perimeter and hit the knockdown three-pointer. It’s hard to determine per night how many shot attempts Iguodala will get thus making it hard to trust him on our rosters. You’ll get some rebounding and steals help, but nothing too consistent. He’ll give the Warriors forwards a breather and he will have nights in which he’s scoring in double figures. The consistency factor is questionable. 

HOUSTON ROCKETS: Eric Gordon-G: Gordon will get A LOT of shot opportunities. He can fill in at either guard spot and because James Harden can bring up the ball when he’s in with Gordon, Gordon will look to cut back door and then back out to get an open three-pointer. Gordon has had knee injuries throughout his career, but that hasn’t stopped him from constantly moving when on the court. Gordon has the ability to hit shots from a few feet behind the arc and will have high assist games as well. He’s mainly a scorer.

INDIANA PACERS: Lance Stephenson-G/F: Stephenson can start at multiple positions, but just like with JR Smith, he’s very athletic, but makes poor decisions with the ball. Can Stephenson fill up the stat sheet, absolutely! If he’s more of a liability on the court, the Pacers will look to limit his minutes. When Stephenson is on, he’ll help in many categories and can shoot the ball from inside and outside and with Glenn Robinson III out for a while, the Pacers will need Stephenson to play meaningful minutes early. 

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: Milos Teodosic-G: It shouldn’t take long for the Clippers to give Teodosic more playing time. The guys reminds me of Ricky Rubio when he first entered the league. Teodosic is quick, but more impressively, he throws many different types of passes and he has a very high basketball I.Q. He should be able to adjust to the NBA’s style quickly and his quick passes to the outlet will help speed up the Clippers tempo offensively. Expect mainly assists from Teodosic. 

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Larry Nance Jr.: Nance is not the flashiest player, but he’ll get the job done inside and will provide help with mainly defensive statistics. The good news for Nance is that Brook Lopez doesn’t like to play in the paint and he can sub in for him or Julius Randle. Nance is a lot quicker than Randle running down the floor and that will work in his favor. Expect consistency in rebounding and blocks. The one worry with Nance is how well Kyle Kuzma has been in the preseason and that could pose as a general playing time threat

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Wayne Selden-G: Selden is currently nursing a quad injury, but that should not prevent him from starting the season active and especially with Ben McLemore out for a bit, it will give Selden a longer leash. Tyreke Evans health issues also work in Selden’s favor for more playing time. Selden has a decent mid and long-range game, but he’ll be setting a lot of screens. The opportunity will be there to play more minutes and he could provide minor help in assists, but he should be on your watch list for now. 

MIAMI HEAT: Kelly Olynyk-C: There’s still a chance Olynyk can take James Johnson’s starting spot away from him. Olynyk has not been that impressive on the glass. He can stretch the floor and the Heat paid him a lot of money, and he will log a lot of minutes early. The biggest critique with Olynyk is a lack of post game. He’s a shooter and he’ll see a lot of open shots because of the amount of attention Hassan Whiteside commands, but outside of scoring, he wasn’t able to show consistency on the defensive end on a Celtics team that lacked big man depth. 

MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Greg Monroe-F/C: The question is, will Monroe play 20 minutes per game? My guess is that he barely gets there and there will be games in which you are jumping for joy because of a 20-point, 10-rebound performance with a block. There will be other times in which he won’t see action because he’s a liability on the court. Jason Kidd doesn’t know what to do with him. Even with Jabari Parker out, Kidd’s not letting him start and he should be watched carefully throughout the season. If Monroe trends up early, sell him immediately. 

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Gorgui Dieng-F/C: Dieng did an excellent job complimenting Karl-Anthony Towns last season, but because of the familiarity the Timberwolves Coaches have in regards to Taj Gibson, Dieng will run with the second unit. With Dieng, expect mainly rebounds and blocks. Dieng has developed a small mid-range game and he won’t have defenders within a mile of him if Towns is on the court. Teams will allow Dieng to shoot open jumpers early on until he proves he’s a major threat offensively. Dieng finds success right under the basket and is a hard player to keep out of the paint. 

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Ian Clark-G: Clark will be able to relieve either guard he’s playing behind early on and Rajon Rondo being out helps Clark’s prospects. Clark is a good driver and takes advantage of both open and semi-open lanes. Clark will mainly be a help for points and assists and should be playing 25 minutes per game at least until Rondo comes back. By then, the Pelicans will know to watch Rondo’s playing time and Clark can be a good change of pace option for the Pelicans. Clark can shoot decently from the outside and that should help his cause. Watch him early. 

NEW YORK KNICKS: Enes Kanter-C: Kanter is used to this role and he’ll be able to take advantage of the opposition’s second units. Kanter has been a bit better about spending less time at the arc and banging with most of the other big men in the league. He’ll still get a fair amount of shots from beyond the arc and we can expect six to eight rebounds per game. He’ll be a primary scorer in the Knicks second unit. 

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Jerami Grant-F: Grant will be on and off the waiver wire throughout the season. Grant can rotate to both forward spots, but with the amount of firepower the Thunder have on the offensive side, it will be hard for him to secure a good amount of shots let alone a healthy amount of playing time. Grant will provide minor scoring and rebounding help, but it will take a big injury for Grant to get anymore involved in the Thunder’s offense. He will have random double digit scoring outings. 

ORLANDO MAGIC: Jonathon Simmons-G: Simmons will get a ton of playing time behind Terrence Ross and will get a lot of shot opportunities with the Magic’s second unit. Simmons was more of a volume scorer last season with the Spurs, but he is expected to have a bigger role with the Magic. Simmons can rotate to both guard spots and he should be able to provide assist help. Simmons will take a lot of shots from mid and long range. Expect Simmons to play close to 30 minutes per game. 

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: Dario Saric-F: Saric not only proved last season that he’s tough on the glass, but he also showed his shooting range. Saric was hitting a lot of elbow shots this season and even though he’s coming off the bench, Saric will still play a ton of minutes and with Joel Embiid being on a major minutes restriction it opens up the rotation even more for at PF and C. Robert Covington will move to the SF spot and Saric will get to handle the low block. Saric will be helpful in points, boards and blocks. He should be in contention for the NBA Sixth Man Of The Year. 

PHOENIX SUNS: Josh Jackson-F: Jackson loves attacking the rim and he will earn playing time early. He will serve as the Suns change of pace player and can play multiple positions. Jackson will be able to be beneficial on transition because of his speed and ability to run the floor. Expect a lot of volume scoring and his reach is also very high and will be able to pull down rebounds off of bigger defenders. Jackson could send T.J. Warren to the bench at some point in the season, but for now, he’ll remain a focal point of the second unit. 

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Evan Turner-G/F: Even with Allen Crabbe gone, Turner’s stats were all over the place last season and still hasn’t seemed to find his place in the league. The good news for Turner is that Mo Harkless is not too much more reliable offensively Turner has the ability to score and rebound but he’s nothing more than a short-term solution. The guards and Jusuf Nurkic will handle most of the offense when it comes to scoring and Turner will be on and off the waiver wire throughout the season. Turner can shoot from the outside, but like with everything else, he’s inconsistent. 

SACRAMENTO KINGS: Buddy Hield-G: It’s been a rough preseason for Hield as his shot just wasn’t falling. He lost his starting spot to Garrett Temple, but the minutes will still be there for Hield. Hield will get at least seven shot attempts per game even off the bench, but if they’re not falling, the other guards will get more run. George Hill can shoot and if De’Aaron Fox’s shot shows consistency, it could take Hield even more out of the offensive scheme until he proves otherwise. Hield will be a minor help with assists as he will look to feed the cutter inside.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Patty Mills-G: It’s a very familiar role for Mills and he will once again serve as the Spurs change of pace guard off the bench. Mills is quick, he can drive and he can hit the knockdown three-ball. Mills will score in double figures sporadically throughout the season, but he will need to play at least 30 minutes to be fully productive. If he’s scoring consistently after a few weeks, he’s worth the look on the waiver wire to add for the short-term. When he gets a lot of playing time, he will provide assists. It’s debatable whether or not he will average double-figures in scoring. 

TORONTO RAPTORS: CJ Miles-G/F: Miles may average double figures in scoring, but that’s about all we will get from him. Miles will be another waiver wire darling, unless somehow, he can provide more of a scoring impact. Miles will rebound a tad, but nothing too consistently. Miles will be subbing in and out for Norman Powell for the most part. Is it possible for Miles to score 13-15 points in this Raptors offense? Yes, but it will be harder this season than in Indiana as the Raptors guards handle the majority of the offense. 

UTAH JAZZ: Joe Johnson-G/F: Johnson was able to see a lot of success in the Playoffs last season and when his shot is on, he’ll play more minutes for the Jazz. Johnson can rotate to the SG and SF spots and he has stepped inside the arc and takes a good amount of mid range jumpers. Johnson will pull down a couple of rebounds but nothing to write home about. Johnson should absolutely be able to play at least 20 minutes of playing time for the Jazz. It’s very possible for Johnson to average double figures in scoring. If Joe Ingles and Rodney Hood are both hitting, it will be hard for Johnson to see a lot of shots. 

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Kelly Oubre Jr.-F: The Wizards are very top-heavy when it comes to scorers and once their second unit comes on, Oubre will lead. Oubre will get the most shots in the second unit and he is a balanced player offensively. He will take a lot of mid-range jumpers and he’ll drive. Oubre is also a very strong defender on the perimeter and that will keep him in the game even longer. Oubre should be able to help with scoring, rebounding and steals. Oubre often scores in volume, but he is not afraid to take contact.