Building a Bench Team

[PhoSita]

Saw this challenge / idea on Twitter yesterday and found it interesting.

Your challenge is to have your team go out and play against the top 5 teams in the league -- i.e. Warriors, Rockets, Raptors, Cavs, Celtics.

Your goal is to have your team beat those opponents in a single game.  Not a playoff series, but you want to be able to beat them in a single match.

Your limitation -- your roster must be comprised entirely of bench players from the other 25 teams in the league.


For these purposes, let's say a "bench player" is somebody who has come off the bench for over half their games played this season, and who has appeared in at least 20 games.


Who do you select to play for your team?

[Moranis]

I think it is basically impossible to craft a team under those conditions that would have any sort of shot of realistically winning a game against those 5 teams.  There just isn't enough top end talent.  But below is my best 3 deep team.  The only shot would be winning a shootout so I went mostly in that direction (and obviously the healthier IT is, the better the team).

PG - Isaiah Thomas, Patty Mills, Malcolm Brogdon
SG - Lou Williams, Dwyane Wade, Buddy Hield
SF - Kelly Oubre, Rudy Gay, Chandler Parsons
PF - Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, Trey Lyles
C - Thon Maker, Kelly Olynyk, Cody Zeller

[PhoSita]

Obviously you're fighting long odds beating the top teams in the league with bench players.  But on any given night I think virtually any team could win a single game.


My starting lineup:

Brogdon, Lou-Will, Oubre, Lyles, Sabonis

Reserves:

C. Joseph, J. Harris, J. Lamb, M. Beasley, J. Collins


I would want to have good size and athleticism at every position, if possible.  Lou-Will being the exception because he's the only truly elite bench scorer available.  I don't think I could get away with trying to use guys like Wade, Hield, or Gay.

While this is obviously a doomed exercise, putting together a team of Generals to go against the Globetrotters, but I think it's an interesting challenge (particularly with an eye toward playing it out in 2k18).

[Ilikesports17]

Ill take the Raps bench, but then add Smart, Sabonis and Lou Will.

Edit: didnt read the rules, but I think the rules are dumb. It's hard enough to create a contender out of bench players when you are able to pick from the 5 best teams. It's impossible when you can't.

[Moranis]

Ill take the Raps bench, but then add Smart, Sabonis and Lou Will.

You can't do that per the rules in the thread.

[Ilikesports17]

Ill take the Raps bench, but then add Smart, Sabonis and Lou Will.

You can't do that per the rules in the thread.

see the edit.

[PhoSita]

Ill take the Raps bench, but then add Smart, Sabonis and Lou Will.

Edit: didnt read the rules, but I think the rules are dumb. It's hard enough to create a contender out of bench players when you are able to pick from the 5 best teams. It's impossible when you can't.

You can make your team with bench players from all but the Rockets and Warriors, if you want, since those two teams are head and shoulders above the rest.

I think choosing the Raps bench players is kind of too easy, though, since their bench is perhaps the main reason their net rating is so high and their record is best in the East.

[number_n9ne]

Malcolm Brogdon, Lou Williams, Jabari Parker, Larry Nance, Cristiano Felicio
Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kelly Oubre, Kyle Kuzma, Domantas Sabonis
T.J. McConnell, Jamal Crawford, Jae Crowder, Jonas Jarebko, Richaun Holmes

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Starters: Lou, Manu, Parker, Adebayo, Portis
Bench: James Johnson, McConnel, O'Quinn, Mack

One game against each team? I like my chances.

[PhoSita]

Starters: Lou, Manu, Parker, Adebayo, Portis
Bench: James Johnson, McConnel, O'Quinn, Mack

One game against each team? I like my chances.

James Johnson is a good call.  I hadn't thought of him, but he would be valuable against the top teams for sure.