One of the important, unconventional stats that we look at here at FBB is minutes. No matter how good a player may be, they need to actually be on the floor to produce value, and most players will tend to do good things when they get the opportunity (with the exception of the Collins brothers and DeShawn Stevenson). Today we look at a few players to think about adding to your bench or watch list, because if for whatever reason they get an extra boost in PT then they will be a valuable asset.

Craig Smith
Let’s first start with the man who actually inspired this column a little over a week ago. Since then, he has gone on to not only enter the Minnesota starting lineup, but also put out great numbers as well. His per-35 minutes numbers project out to about 16/8 with good percentages and weak defensive numbers. This was highlighted by his 36 point, 8 rebound performance the other night. He may not solve your team’s every need, but he can produce good value and will continue to see consistent playing time. Overall, this one was too easy to call, with Theo Ratliff being incredibly injury prone and with the strong season finish that Smith had last year.

Brandon Bass
Bass is another solid candidate for an explosion if anything were to happy to Dirk Nowitzki misses time. It seemed that this guy had too much promise for New Orleans to justify cutting him and he’s sure demonstrating why with some huge games. Bass is projecting per-35 minutes to about 15/8 but would add decent blocks and surprisingly good FT% values as well. Bass seems like an ideal handcuff candidate for Dirk owners and looks like he could be a force in the NBA if he continues current development over the next few years.

Delonte West
Okay, so I know that he’s injured right now, but you have to feel sorry for the position that this guy is in. He’s stuck on a team that’s in extraordinary flux with too many players fighting for time at the PG and SG positions, and attempts at playing Kevin Durant as a guard haven’t helped matters either. West is not an absolutely great player, but what is a fact is that he contributes across the board in nearly every category. There is no need to project numbers, as he showed us what he could do in 05-06 when he put up 12/4/4.5 with good percentages and nearly making the 1/1/1 club (steals/blocks/threes). Overall, this FBB favorite is clearly being misused in his current Seattle role, and while he may not be a fantasy force right now, if roster shake-ups occur then he could end up with some very nice value. There’s a reason he finished #52 overall on the PR two years ago.

Sacramento Swingmen
If there is any team that can be said to have excellent depth at SG/SF, Sacramento would have to be near the top of any list. In addition to having all-star caliber Kevin Martin and Ron Artest, both John Salmons and Francisco Garcia have shown to be quite valuable whenever they get an opportunity to showcase their abilities. There are simply too many players here to list all of their stats, but if you look at game logs, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. Injuries and suspensions to Martin, Artest and Mike Bibby have given these backup guards the opportunity they need, but they still need consistent playing time to have sustained value, which is not something particularly certain. Sacramento though, with all of their talent and the lack of production, you have to think it’s a team that will likely get blown up with a roster make-over sometime soon. Keep an eye on the playing time of these players, as whoever is getting the start will likely give great value from a backup.

Now to be honest, it has been difficult for me to keep up with the NBA as I continue traveling around Europe, and thus I’m sure I’m missing some great additions to this list. Help me out by nominating another player for my watch list by adding a comment below! Until next time, take care and have a wonderful holiday season.