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Best NBA Benches 2026-27: Bench Points vs Sixth Man Odds

OKC's 48.0 bench points were only third on opening night, behind Golden State's 56.0 and the Clippers' 53.0, yet the Thunder's Ajay Mitchell is the Sixth Man favorite at +600.

  • No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder bench
  • 10 places

01Final list

The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

  1. 1

    Oklahoma City Thunder bench

    The only bench that is top-3 in scoring (48.0 PPG, 3rd after one game) and also has the Sixth Man favorite: Ajay Mitchell, +600, up from +1000 in August.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 1 · Gemini: 1

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 1

      The only bench with a top-3 raw score (48.0 PPG) and the market's favorite reserve (Ajay Mitchell, +600).

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 1

      A league-leading 48.0 bench points per game backed by Ajay Mitchell's +700 Sixth Man odds makes OKC the gold standard of depth and star quality.

    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  2. 2

    Boston Celtics bench

    It has a star but not the volume. Payton Pritchard is a near co-favorite at +650, but Boston's bench was 16th last season at 36.8 PPG.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 3 · Gemini: 2

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 3

      Payton Pritchard at +650 is a near-co-favorite, but the Celtics bench was 16th last season at 36.8 PPG.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 2

      Anchored by consensus Sixth Man of the Year betting favorite Payton Pritchard (+600), compensating for lower volume (36.8 PPG) with elite closing efficiency.

    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  3. 3

    San Antonio Spurs bench

    The market and the box score disagree here. Dylan Harper has the third-shortest Sixth Man price (+800), yet Spurs reserves scored 29.0 in game 1, 22nd of 25 listed.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 2 · Gemini: 4

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 2

      Dylan Harper is priced as a top-3 Sixth Man (+800), yet the Spurs reserves scored only 29.0 in game 1, 22nd of 25 listed.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 4

      Features former preseason 6MOY favorite Dylan Harper (+750 opening), balancing rookie offensive pop against shifting starting-rotation designations.

    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  4. 4

    Golden State Warriors bench

    Top in game-1 bench scoring at 56.0 and 3rd last season (45.0), but no reserve is in the SI Sixth Man top 24. One AI's Hield +2000 is unconfirmed.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 4 · Gemini: 9

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 4

      The league's top bench in game 1 at 56.0 PPG, with no reserve in the SI Sixth Man top 24.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 9

      Steve Kerr's 11-man motion bench relies on Buddy Hield (+2000) for perimeter gravity, netting 35.2 PPG in high-efficiency bursts.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  5. 5

    Memphis Grizzlies bench

    The volume king: 1st last season at 46.0 PPG and 46.0 again in game 1, but no Sixth Man contender in SI's top 24.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 10 · Gemini: 5

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 10

      Led the league in bench scoring last season at 46.0 PPG and matched that at 46.0 in game 1, but has no Sixth Man contender in the top 24.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 5

      A relentless scoring machine generating 44.1 to 46.0 PPG across a deep second unit, though lacking a single top-5 betting candidate.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  6. 6

    Los Angeles Lakers bench (Sexton and Mamukelashvili)

    Rebuilt after being one of the league's worst benches. It scored 38.0 in game 1 (12th), and Sexton is +3000 on DraftKings; one AI's +1400 is unconfirmed.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 8 · Gemini: 3

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 8

      Sexton is priced at +3000 for Sixth Man, and the unit scored 38.0 in game 1, 12th of 25 listed, after being one of the league's worst last season.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 3

      Retooled around Collin Sexton ($19M) and Sandro Mamukelashvili ($52M), combining a +1400 6MOY downhill driver with a Kevin Love-style stretch playmaker.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  7. 7

    Indiana Pacers bench

    Fadeaway World calls it the deepest bench in the NBA, yet it scored just 32.0 in game 1 (18th) after 41.5 last season (10th).

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 6 · Gemini: 7

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 6

      Fadeaway World calls it the deepest bench in the league, yet it scored 32.0 PPG in game 1.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 7

      Maintains Rick Carlisle's trademark pace with 38.6 bench PPG, led by T.J. McConnell's steady leadership and Bennedict Mathurin's burst.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  8. 8

    Washington Wizards bench

    A volume outlier: 2nd in bench scoring last season at 45.2 PPG, mostly in garbage time, with no reserve the market takes seriously.

    Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 9 · Gemini: 10

    What each AI noted 2
    • Claudeplace 9

      Fadeaway World ranks it fifth-deepest, and Reed Sheppard is the main name, at +4000.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 10

      The quintessential volume outlier: producing 42.9 reserve PPG in blown-out minutes while holding zero players with 6MOY odds under +6000.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  9. 9

    Los Angeles Clippers bench

    The biggest swing on the board: 53.0 bench PPG in game 1 (2nd) after just 36.3 last season (18th), with no Sixth Man contender priced.

    Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 7

    What each AI noted 1
    • Claudeplace 7

      53.0 bench PPG in game 1, but 36.3 last season (18th).

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  10. 10

    Philadelphia 76ers bench

    A star without a box score yet. Anfernee Simons opened at +1300 and drifted to +1800, and the Sixers are missing from StatMuse's 25-team table.

    Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nova, DeepSeek.

    In their lists: Claude: 5

    What each AI noted 1
    • Claudeplace 5

      Anfernee Simons opened at +1300 as a Sixth Man, and the Sixers rebuilt the unit around him.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗

More about the top three ↓

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

The bench scores mix different bases: OKC's 48.0 is from opening night, Boston's 36.8 is last season's average, and Spurs' 29.0 is game 1. Odds also vary by source.

1Oklahoma City Thunder bench

No. 1 — Oklahoma City Thunder bench. On the lists of 2 of 6 AIs; median place there: 1. It is the only bench that is both near the top in scoring and home to the Sixth Man favorite, Ajay Mitchell.

Did you know

  • Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder guard from Belgium, is the second UC Santa Barbara alum to win an NBA title. The first was Brian Shaw. UCSB's alumni magazine says so.

    Source ↗
What it is
Oklahoma City's reserves, led by guard Ajay Mitchell.
Its edge
Only team strong in bench points and in Sixth Man odds.
Who should know
Useful for fans judging which team has depth plus a real bench star.
  • Bench points, Sixth Man odds48.0 bench PPG; Mitchell +600
Why it is here

  • Ajay Mitchell is the Sixth Man favorite at +600 on DraftKings, per Sports Illustrated. Payton Pritchard is next at +650 and Dylan Harper third at +800, so Oklahoma City's bench leader is priced shortest.

    Source ↗

  • In the 2025-26 playoffs, Thunder reserves scored 621 points in 15 games, 41.4 per game. That was second in total points and the highest average among the top four teams (Spurs 30.9, Knicks 28.2, Cavaliers 28.3).

    Source ↗
Did you know

  • Mitchell became the ninth former Big West Conference player to win an NBA title, after the Thunder beat the Pacers in the 2025 Finals.

    Source ↗
History

  • In 2008 the Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. The new owners paid Seattle $45 million to break the KeyArena lease, and the team began play as the Thunder in 2008–09.

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Mitchell's bench role is not settled. One SI column says starting him is the obvious choice for the fifth spot. But that would leave all three of OKC's defensive guards on the bench.

    Source ↗

  • Odds differ by source. One preview has Mitchell +600 at DraftKings, with Harper second and Pritchard third. SI puts Pritchard second. Check live prices before trusting any number.

    Source ↗
Compare the top three ↓

2Boston Celtics bench

No. 2 — Boston Celtics bench. On the lists of 2 of 6 AIs; median place there: 2.5. Boston has a near-favorite star in Payton Pritchard, but its bench as a group scored too little last season.

Did you know

  • Payton Pritchard won Sixth Man of the Year in 2025. He is only the fourth Celtic to win it, after Kevin McHale, Bill Walton and Malcolm Brogdon.

    Source ↗
What it is
Boston's reserves, built around Sixth Man winner Payton Pritchard.
Its edge
Pritchard's odds are close to Mitchell's, better than Spurs' Harper.
Who should know
Useful for fans who want to know a star can outshine a thin bench.
  • Bench points, Sixth Man odds36.8 PPG; Pritchard +650
Why it is here

  • Payton Pritchard averaged a career-high 17.0 points per game last season and has played over 28 minutes a game two years running. He sits at +650, just behind Mitchell's +600.

    Source ↗

  • In the 2025-26 playoffs, Boston's bench scored 257 points in 7 games, 36.7 per game. That is far fewer total points than Oklahoma City's 621, because Boston played fewer games.

    Source ↗
Did you know

  • In 2024-25 Pritchard scored more than 1,000 points in games he didn't start. No other NBA player did. He also made at least five 3-pointers in 22 games, a Celtics record that had been Jayson Tatum's.

    Source ↗
History

  • Coach Red Auerbach used Frank Ramsey as a sixth man, which the page calls the NBA's first. Ramsey played for Boston from 1954 to 1964 and won seven titles with the team.

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Pritchard's case is built on his own play, not on a deep bench. That article also says Al Horford may matter more off the bench because of his stronger two-way play. It is from an earlier season.

    Source ↗
Where to go further

  • Open the official roster page and find Payton Pritchard, a guard in his sixth season. Check whether he comes off the bench or starts, since his role is still being sorted out.

    Source ↗
Compare the top three ↓

3San Antonio Spurs bench

No. 3 — San Antonio Spurs bench. On the lists of 2 of 6 AIs; median place there: 3. Betting odds like Dylan Harper, but the Spurs' reserves scored very little in game 1, so market and box score disagree.

Did you know

  • Dylan Harper's father Ron won five NBA titles, three with the Bulls and two with the Lakers. NBA.com says Dylan became the youngest player to score double digits in a Finals game.

    Source ↗
What it is
San Antonio's reserves, with rookie Dylan Harper as the Sixth Man name.
Its edge
Has the most playoff bench points of any team, from many games.
Who should know
Useful for fans wondering if a rookie's hype matches how the bench scores.
  • Bench points, Sixth Man odds29.0 in game 1; Harper +800
Why it is here

  • Dylan Harper has the third-shortest Sixth Man price at +800 on DraftKings. Sports Illustrated calls him a super-sub for San Antonio as a rookie.

    Source ↗

  • San Antonio's reserves scored 710 points in 23 games in the 2025-26 playoffs, the most of any team. Their 30.9 per game was well below Oklahoma City's 41.4, because they played many more games.

    Source ↗
Did you know

  • Harper's 251 playoff points passed David Robinson's total from his rookie year with the Spurs, according to NBA.com. Robinson is one of the best players in Spurs history.

    Source ↗
History

  • The Spurs drafted Manu Ginóbili 57th overall in 1999, a late second-round pick. He played in Italy and only joined San Antonio for the 2002–03 season, and stayed through 2018.

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Harper may not be a reserve at all. The Spurs signed De'Aaron Fox to a four-year, $229 million deal. The open question is whether Fox starts beside Harper and Castle, or becomes the sixth man himself.

    Source ↗
Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

Oklahoma City Thunder benchBoston Celtics benchSan Antonio Spurs bench
In the AIs' lists2 / 62 / 62 / 6
Bench points, Sixth Man odds48.0 bench PPG; Mitchell +60036.8 PPG; Pritchard +65029.0 in game 1; Harper +800
Put first byClaude, Gemini——

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

More ratings

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

The claim that OKC leads in bench scoring does not hold. After one game, Golden State (56.0) and the Clippers (53.0) are ahead of the Thunder's 48.0.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nova, DeepSeek.
Source ↗

OKC breaks the rule that deep scoring benches don't produce award candidates: it is top-3 in bench points and has the Sixth Man favorite in Ajay Mitchell.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.
Source ↗

The Sixth Man favorite depends on the book and the date. DraftKings has Mitchell +600, Pritchard +650 and Harper +800 (Oct 17). BetMGM had Harper +700 and Mitchell +800 on Sept 29.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.
Source ↗

The volume leaders and the star benches are different teams. Memphis and Washington were 1st and 2nd in bench points last season, and neither has a Sixth Man contender.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Nova, DeepSeek.
Source ↗

The 2026-27 bench figures come from a single game per team, with the Heat at 24.0 and the Warriors at 56.0. That is mostly noise, so the 2025-26 table is the steadier guide.

Noticed by:
Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nova, DeepSeek.
Source ↗

04How we counted

In plain words, no formulas.

1The question

Top 10 NBA second units of 2026-27 — bench scoring volume versus sixth-man star power

2Where it applies

global (NBA)

3What we looked at

  • Team bench scoring output as officially counted (points per game off the bench)
  • Betting-market confidence in each team's bench leader (Sixth Man of the Year odds)
  • How the Lakers' new Sexton–Mamukelashvili unit compares on both axes
  • StatMuse team bench points per game, 2026-27 (live) — Points per game scored by reserves. So far this is one game per team, and only 25 teams are listed. Warriors 56.0, Clippers 53.0 and Thunder 48.0
  • StatMuse team bench points per game, 2025-26 full season — Last season's reserve scoring, the steadier guide: Grizzlies 46.0, Wizards 45.2, Warriors 45.0, Thunder 41.8.
  • DraftKings Sixth Man of the Year odds via SI (Oct 17, 2026) — Market price of a team's bench star: Mitchell +600, Pritchard +650, Harper +800, Dosunmu +1400, Sexton +3000.
  • SportsBettingDime Sixth Man futures tracker — Opening odds on Aug 10, 2026: Harper +750, Mitchell +1000, Simons +1300.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook — Sixth Man of the Year odds. The Sept 29 board had Harper +700 and Mitchell +800, with Pritchard outside the top tier.

4Who ranked

The leading AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nova, DeepSeek.

5How the places were set

The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.

05Each AI's own list

🇺🇸 Claude10 places · 4 notes

The same question, answered by Claude alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Oklahoma City Thunder bench 2026-27

    The only bench with a top-3 raw score (48.0 PPG) and the market's favorite reserve (Ajay Mitchell, +600).

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    San Antonio Spurs bench 2026-27

    Dylan Harper is priced as a top-3 Sixth Man (+800), yet the Spurs reserves scored only 29.0 in game 1, 22nd of 25 listed.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Boston Celtics bench 2026-27

    Payton Pritchard at +650 is a near-co-favorite, but the Celtics bench was 16th last season at 36.8 PPG.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Golden State Warriors bench 2026-27

    The league's top bench in game 1 at 56.0 PPG, with no reserve in the SI Sixth Man top 24.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Philadelphia 76ers bench 2026-27

    Anfernee Simons opened at +1300 as a Sixth Man, and the Sixers rebuilt the unit around him.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Indiana Pacers bench 2026-27

    Fadeaway World calls it the deepest bench in the league, yet it scored 32.0 PPG in game 1.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Los Angeles Clippers bench 2026-27

    53.0 bench PPG in game 1, but 36.3 last season (18th).

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Los Angeles Lakers bench 2026-27 (Sexton and Mamukelashvili)

    Sexton is priced at +3000 for Sixth Man, and the unit scored 38.0 in game 1, 12th of 25 listed, after being one of the league's worst last season.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Houston Rockets bench 2026-27

    Fadeaway World ranks it fifth-deepest, and Reed Sheppard is the main name, at +4000.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Memphis Grizzlies bench 2026-27

    Led the league in bench scoring last season at 46.0 PPG and matched that at 46.0 in game 1, but has no Sixth Man contender in the top 24.

    Source ↗

What Claude noticed

The premise that OKC leads in bench scoring does not hold. With one game played, Golden State (56.0) and the Clippers (53.0) are ahead of the Thunder's 48.0.

Source ↗

The reserve-star market and the scoring table point in different directions. Spurs reserves scored 29.0 in game 1, yet Dylan Harper is the third-shortest Sixth Man price.

Source ↗

The Lakers' unit was one of the league's worst last season. Sexton compares Mamukelashvili to Kevin Love, but Sexton missed the whole preseason with a leg injury.

Source ↗

The Sixth Man favorite has flipped between Harper, Mitchell and Pritchard since August. Harper opened at +750, and Mitchell was +1000 then and +600 now.

Source ↗
🇺🇸 Gemini10 places · 2 notes

The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Oklahoma City Thunder second unit (2026-27)

    A league-leading 48.0 bench points per game backed by Ajay Mitchell's +700 Sixth Man odds makes OKC the gold standard of depth and star quality.

  2. 2
    Boston Celtics second unit (2026-27)

    Anchored by consensus Sixth Man of the Year betting favorite Payton Pritchard (+600), compensating for lower volume (36.8 PPG) with elite closing efficiency.

  3. 3
    Los Angeles Lakers second unit (2026-27)

    Retooled around Collin Sexton ($19M) and Sandro Mamukelashvili ($52M), combining a +1400 6MOY downhill driver with a Kevin Love-style stretch playmaker.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    San Antonio Spurs second unit (2026-27)

    Features former preseason 6MOY favorite Dylan Harper (+750 opening), balancing rookie offensive pop against shifting starting-rotation designations.

  5. 5
    Memphis Grizzlies second unit (2026-27)

    A relentless scoring machine generating 44.1 to 46.0 PPG across a deep second unit, though lacking a single top-5 betting candidate.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Minnesota Timberwolves second unit (2026-27)

    Built around former award recipient Naz Reid (+1200) alongside Rob Dillingham, trading raw reserve volume (34.5 PPG) for clutch two-way shotmaking.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Indiana Pacers second unit (2026-27)

    Maintains Rick Carlisle's trademark pace with 38.6 bench PPG, led by T.J. McConnell's steady leadership and Bennedict Mathurin's burst.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Detroit Pistons second unit (2026-27)

    Generates a surprisingly sturdy 39.8 PPG through veteran microwave scorers, ranking upper-tier in volume despite an absence of award hype.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Golden State Warriors second unit (2026-27)

    Steve Kerr's 11-man motion bench relies on Buddy Hield (+2000) for perimeter gravity, netting 35.2 PPG in high-efficiency bursts.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Washington Wizards second unit (2026-27)

    The quintessential volume outlier: producing 42.9 reserve PPG in blown-out minutes while holding zero players with 6MOY odds under +6000.

    Source ↗

What Gemini noticed

Lakers management committed $71 million in guaranteed money ($19M to Sexton, $52M to Mamukelashvili) specifically to manufacture high-post passing and transition paint pressure off the bench.

Source ↗

Rebuilding rosters like Washington inflate bench points (42.9 PPG, 2nd in the league) through garbage-time minutes, creating a wide divergence between raw output and betting-market viability (+6500 odds).

Source ↗