Bench Lineups Have Plagued the Brooklyn Nets to Start the Season

Brooklyn suffered its fourth loss by 15 or more points on Monday, with a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Oct 24, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) reacts after a no-call by the officials in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

"(Many teams) don't realize how important it is to have a veteran voice in the locker room or on the bench," San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson said. "It's important to have guys who have been there before."

Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, they do not have the luxury of veteran leadership off the bench amid the early stages of their rebuild.

The Nets suffered a 125-109 loss on Monday to move to 0-7 on the season. While four of five starters scored 12 or more points, only one player off the bench saw double-figure scoring.

This has been a common theme so far this season — there have only been two games in which more than one player has eclipsed 10 points off the bench. It's not that the bench is abysmal at scoring either, the unit ranks 13th in the league in points per game.

However, that ranking has a flaw. While most teams run a 10-man rotation, Brooklyn has gone beyond that depth five times this season. More bench minutes will equate to more bench points.

What was once one of the NBA's premier bench mobs has now fallen off due to a lack of experience. It's not just inconsistent scoring, but the unit's ball security is also a problem. The Nets' bench averages the most turnovers per game in the league at 7.8 per game.

It's a struggle that Brooklyn has to live with when they have Egor Demin and now Ben Saraf both coming off the bench. It also doesn't help that backup center Day'Ron Sharpe is averaging 2.3 turnovers per game.

Although the bench unit has gone through many struggles early in the season, there has been a bright spot.

In five games off the bench, Ziaire Williams has averaged 11.6 points per game, shooting 39.3% from three. The 24-year-old started 45 games last season for the Nets, and he has now taken his game to another level despite having a decreased role in the offense.

Not only is Williams shooting a career-best from beyond the arc, but he is also converting at a 70% rate on two-point attempts. He could vie for a starting job soon this season.

With Tyrese Martin inserted into the starting lineup over the past two games, that makes the scoring ranks off the bench even thinner. If Brooklyn wants to remain competitive amid the rebuild, they will need rookies and players like Sharpe to be more consistent when they check into games.