2013-14 NBA Bench Power Rankings

Mar 27, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets power forward Thomas Robinson (41) drives on Indiana Pacers power forward Jeff Pendergraph (29) in the first half at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

7. Portland Trailblazers

Jokes about the ineffectiveness of the Trailblazers bench were almost as plentiful as the classic one about Klay Thompson unable to make a layup. The Blazers went out and fixed that this summer, with an upgrade akin to Otto von Bismark’s militarization of Prussia. Gone are the days of praying Luke Babbitt will hit a respectable amount of his shots. Dorrell Wright is just two years removed from a breakout season with Golden State. He’s long, rangy, and can make eight three pointers in a row if you give him enough time to square up. He plays decent defense and is one of the best character guys in the league (not exactly something that matters on the court, but hey, he’s a good guy!). Thomas Robinson never quite got a chance to prove himself in Sacramento and was used as yet another pawn in Daryl Morey’s Great Game but he’s still a lottery level talent waiting to explode into his own.

Mo Williams (once the “missing piece” to a championship seeking Cavaliers!) is still capable of explosive scoring nights and clutch shots. He’s never been shy about getting his. CJ McCollum had a great summer league, especially on the offensive side of the ball, averaging 21 points and 3.4 assists a game. He has a good head for the pick-and-roll and got to the rim without much difficulty, albeit against inferior competition. He’ll be playing the 1 and 2, and if he can get his defense to a respectable level, the Blazers have a very nice looking guard rotation going forward. Oh yeah, Earl Watson is also on the Blazers. Just when you thought he was gone, he’ll give you ten meaningful no nonsense minutes and hit a few jumpers. Oh Earl. You are a gem.