Ranking the Los Angeles Lakers and best bench duos in the NBA
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers have the top two vote-getters for last season’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the best superstar duos in the NBA already. That is a list for another day. Today, we are looking at the team’s bench duo, consisting of Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell.
Harrell won the Sixth Man of the Year award last season and Schroder finished second in voting. The Lakers being able to bring both of them on a fantastically valued trade as well as the MLE is something.
Now, there is the chance of either player starting and is something that Schroder said he intends to do. However, just based on the construction of the lineup, I think it is best for both guys to get plenty of minutes off the bench to not just maintain leads but hold them.
When it comes to a bench duo, this is one of the best that we have seen in quite some time. Here is how it stands up compared to the other best bench duos in the league.
4. Atlanta Hawks — Rajon Rondo and Danilo Gallinari
If Cam Reddish can play better in year two then I would put him over Rajon Rondo in this bench duo, but for now, it is the man that transforms in the playoffs that gets the nod with the fourth spot on this list.
Rondo certainly can get frustrating to watch and you may disagree with his placement on this list but the Atlanta Hawks did a really excellent job in bringing in veteran pieces to complement the young core.
Rondo and Gallinari are the two primary veterans off the bench who give the Hawks a really good 1-2 punch that will help them extend leads. They have the second playmaker and facilitator in Rondo while also having one of the best off-ball stretch fours in the league in Gallinari.
It is a recipe that is naturally going to find success as a bench duo in the NBA. The ceiling is not as high as some of these other duos, but the Hawks should be pleased with the level of play that they get.