2013-14 NBA Bench Power Rankings

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Apr 12, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves point guard J.J. Barea (11) lies on the court after being flagrantly fouled by Utah Jazz power forward Derrick Favors (not pictured) during the second half at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

19. Minnesota Timberwolves

Big-hearted big man and excellent person Ronny Turiaf is coming to a frozen wasteland near you! To supplement their incredibly thin frontcourt, the Timberwolves have seized the day and signed Turiaf to a two-year deal. Turiaf will instantly become a fan favorite for his energy, his leadership, and his sideline exhortations. He’ll also score a basket sometimes, hit roughly half his free throws, and go for the highlight reel block when proper post positioning would be more advisable. I guess what I am saying is that Ronny is a mixed bag.

J.J. Barea can be a stumpy menace, able to be your savior or your destruction. He’ll definitely lose you a game or two, but he’s a tough player and can effortlessly create his own offense, which he does with alacrity. Alexy Shved won’t bear so much responsibility with trigger happy Kevin Martin eating up the lion’s share of minutes at the two, which will hopefully relieve him of some anxiety that clearly hampered his game during his rookie season. And in a developing theme of dudes returning from whence they came, Corey Brewer has come home, everyone! If he can do what he did for George Karl’s Nuggets, shoot the corner three with some accuracy and run the floor with his forceful athleticism, then he’s already made the Timberwolves a better team. Meanwhile, Bonehead in Training Shabazz Muhammad will toil under Rick Adelman’s iron fist and Derrick Williams will lose more and more minutes to Dante Cunningham with every subsequent game. The Timberwolves have a very solid starting five. Playoff worthy. Their bench is on the lower side of average. Hey, that’s not so bad! The Lower Side of Average is the name of my autobiography.