The NBA is fairly described as a star-driven league. It is exceptionally difficult to win at the highest levels without clear star power, and that reality is clear each season, particularly in a playoff setting. At the same time, depth really matters in the regular season, and that shows up as the marathon nature of the 82-game run persists.
With that as the backdrop, this space will focus on the race for the best "12th man" in the NBA this season. Most competitive teams can at least go nine or ten players deep without pain, but as attrition hits, not everyone can dig into the "third team" to uncover real NBA players. Below, several teams will be highlighted as contenders for the honor, with one team earning the preseason crown.
So close, yet so far
Though much of the discussion about the Los Angeles Clippers recently has focused on the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration saga, the discussion before that happened was on the incredible depth of the roster. The Clippers are (very) old, but they do have a fantastic top 11. In fact, they'd be the runaway winner of a "best 11th man" category with players like Nic Batum, Bogdan Bogdanović, or Kris Dunn... but things do drop off after No. 11, so they are a near-miss in this space.
The contenders
The Memphis Grizzlies have quietly amassed a very deep squad. Aside from the top players, Memphis could legitimately claim to have the best 14th/15th men in the league, choosing between guys like Pat Spencer, Jock Landale, GG Jackson, John Konchar, and rookie Cedric Coward. However, the roster is a bit flatter than some others, leaving them in the runner-up zone.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Philadelphia 76ers make an appearance here, even as they enter 2025-26 with modest expectations. Of course, the uncertainty at the top with Paul George and Joel Embiid drags down the vibe, but the Sixers do have real depth. Adem Bona is a quality backup center, and so is Andre Drummond. Justin Edwards showed flashes last season. Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry are still here. Jabari Walker was a free agency heist. But alas, they are more in the Memphis mold of having intriguing depth all the way to the end, rather than a clear No. 12 guy.
The Denver Nuggets spent a lot of their offseason attention on addressing their depth, and they did so. Denver's 12th man could be Bruce Brown, DaRon Holmes, or Jalen Pickett, all of whom are rotation-level guys. It's not too bad.
And, finally, the Houston Rockets are probably No. 2 on the list overall. The addition of Clint Capela and the return of players like Aaron Holiday and Jae'Sean Tate means that Houston has clear quality all the way down to No. 12 on the list.
The winner
This was not a "default" selection, simply because they are the champions. But it is a reminder of the roster quality that the Oklahoma City Thunder take the cake here. It remains to be seen who will actually be the 12th man for Oklahoma City, but it is at least conceivable that any of Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic, Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Joe, or Aaron Wiggins could occupy the slot at some point. OKC did lose its first round pick, Thomas Sorber, to injury, but the Thunder uniquely set up to weather that storm, particularly with Topic returning as a 2024 lottery pick and plenty of other options.