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Winning in the NBA takes a lot of factors, and having a good bench is one of them. The league recognizes the best bench player annually through the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award since 1983. Most of the athletes who won this award had a selfless interest in the game and gave up a starting position to help their team win.
As the league enters its 76th season, we take a dive on which bench player has been performing well and who are statistically the frontrunners for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
NBA players with the best efficiency coming off the bench
Here are the five:
#5 Moritz Wagner
The brother of Franz Wagner and in his sixth season in the league has put up his best numbers.
He has come off the bench for 19.3 minutes a game and provided 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16 games with the Orlando Magic. His efficiency rating is 12.12, and he has topped the likes of Duncan Robinson of the Miami Heat and Chris Paul of the Golden State Warriors.
#4 Cole Anthony
Thanks to an effective bench, the Orlando Magic are near the top of the NBA Eastern Conference standings with a record of 12-5.
Cole Anthony, the son of former player Greg Anthony, has been embracing a selfless bench role for the Magic. With an efficiency rating of 12.22, he's averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes a game.
#3 Tim Hardaway Jr.
With an efficiency rating of 12.52, Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the unsung hero for the Dallas Mavericks' this season.
With the amount of defense being attracted by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the son of Tim Hardaway has been a great kickout player. In 16 games, he has given the Mavs 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists and 3.4 3-pointers a game.
#2 Immanuel Quickley
The New York Knicks have stacked up their bench this season, with Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart standing out among the rest is Immanuel Quickley who has an efficiency rate of 12.77.
In his fourth season in the NBA, he has averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
#1 Austin Reaves
On top of the list is fan-favorite Austin Reaves who has an efficiency rate of 13.55. After a rough start, the LA Lakers are 10-7 record, and part of the success is Reaves finding his way off the bench.
He's averaging 14.0 points, 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He also provides spacing by doing 1.4 3-pointers per game.
