NBA Playoffs 2019: Jimmy Butler heaps praise on Philadelphia 76ers bench production

James McKern

NBA Playoffs 2019: Jimmy Butler heaps praise on Philadelphia 76ers bench production image

Bench production plays a critical role in determining the outcome of games, but it becomes even more prominent when the playoffs get underway.

During the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers bench unit, while productive, found themselves in the lower trenches of the league.

They ranked 27th for points per game with an average of 31.7, according to NBA.com/stats.

The Toronto Raptors, on the other hand, sat in the 17th spot during the regular season with an average of 36.2 points per game.

And while the starters take on a bigger role and generally play more minutes during the postseason, teams still rely heavily on their backups to provide an offensive boost.

Unfortunately, Toronto haven't had that at their disposal, the 76ers second unit, however, has improved.

Through six playoff games, the Raptors bench unit is only scoring an average of 21.4 points compared to Philadelphia's which is scoring 32 points per game.

76ers All-Star guard Jimmy Butler was quick to shower his secondary unit in praise following the teams big Game 3 win.

"They're comfortable, they're confident in the role that they play," Butler said.

"I'm sure that the Raptors guys they work on their game as much as anybody else does, but I see it every day at practice with our bench guys and the whole thing is you've just got to star in your role 

"You ask them to do anything and they never complain they just go out there and do it.

"They've been huge for us, they will continue to be that for us as we come into this one on Sunday (Monday) and we want them to be the same guys they've been this entire series."


If the Raptors hope to capture the Eastern Conference crown, their second unit is going to have to bump their scoring up closer to the regular season mark.

James McKern