Bench Mob Blog’s core mission has always been to show love to the unknown players whose stories and impact go unnoticed by the average fan. That’s why the Bench Mob All-Star tradition was created back in 2022. This is a tribute to the NBA’s best end-of-bench ballers, guys who have been making names for themselves this season in limited roles. This collection of undrafted rookies, former second-round picks and G League studs is proof that value can always be found on the margins if teams put in the work. The 2025-26 squad is one of most well-rounded and exciting ones to date, featuring many players who have had unique journeys.
Let’s meet the team.
(Note: Bench Mob Player of the Day is an award handed out daily via X to the bench mobber who had the best game the prior night. Follow @finleykuehl to keep up with the winners!)
Caleb Love (Captain, 7x Bench Mob Player of the Day)
Too many high school and college stars fizzle out at the next level because they’re not willing to restart from the bottom and put in the extra grind. Caleb Love is determined to avoid that fate. Since going undrafted last June, the former NCAA All-American has been on a mission to prove that he belongs in the pros, and he’s been more than successful so far. Not only is the Blazers rookie having one of the best two-way contract seasons of all time, he’s also been one of the better freshmen in the league overall, an impressive feat considering how stacked this 2025 class is. Damian Lillard has taken Love under his wing and given him the nickname “Top-10 Pick,” and Love has really been playing up to that moniker. He ranks eight amongst rookies in PPG at 11.4 and fourth in total 3PM at 87.
The Arizona product’s microwave scoring and competitive drive have been invaluable for a Portland team that has been bit by the injury bug this year. All in all, Love has planted the seeds for a fruitful career that many thought he wouldn’t be able to have.
Love is the second rookie to be named captain of the Bench Mob All-Star team, with Herb Jones being the first to do so in 2022.
Dru Smith (7x BM POTD)
The basketball gods have not been kind to Dru Smith. He went undrafted in 2021 and spent a full season in the G League before signing his first NBA deal. He started to gain some traction in the rotation with the Heat in 2023, but then suffered a season-ending ACL tear. In 2024, bad luck struck again in the form of an Achilles tear. Despite all his setbacks, Smith has kept his nose to the grindstone. Now, he’s finally healthy, and he’s been the best version of himself.
Smith has become part of Miami’s nightly bench unit, earning his keep with his defensive tenacity. He ranks fifth in the entire league in total steals on the season. The Missouri product smothers ball handlers and never runs out of gas. He’s also a useful piece offensively who creates advantages by getting downhill and touching paint. If the Heat make the playoffs this spring, expect to see Smith on the floor when it matters most.
This is Smith’s second Bench Mob All-Star appearance— he was also a member of the 2024-25 squad.
Jordan Miller (6x BM POTD)
The Clippers had a dumbfounding start to the season, but now they’re one of the hotter teams in hoops. They wouldn’t have the same level of positive momentum without Jordan Miller. The third-year forward is playing the biggest role of his career, averaging 19.3 minutes, and he’s helped Los Angeles climb back up the standings with his offensive craft and versatility. Miller’s bag inside the arc is a thing of beauty. He mixes in decels, Euros, fakes and crossovers to get to his spots and hit middies and layups. He’s a streaky but respectable three-point shooter, too. In some ways, the former second-round pick has helped the Clips replace Norman Powell in the aggregate, Moneyball style.
Miller was on a two-way contract in 2024-25, earned a conversion, but was then demoted back to a two-way over the summer. Now, he’s made it very clear that he deserves a full-time standard deal.
Jamaree Bouyea (6x BM POTD)
Bouyea has been a revelation for a Suns team that’s seriously overperforming. Phoenix dug the shifty guard, who has played for five other teams, off the scrap heap. They gave him the runway to succeed and he’s taken off. Bouyea has the ball on a string and shakes and bakes defenders to get buckets. He’s also a defensive disruptor who plays bigger than his size. The 26-year-old is posting career highs in points per game, field goal percentage and three point percentage. The Bucks undoubtedly regret waiving him in October.
Luka Garza (5x BM POTD)
Garza, a collegiate juggernaut, has found his niche in the NBA by scaling down and playing to his strengths. The big man’s post bag is as deep as the Pacific and he has uncanny touch for a guy of his size. He’s always been a per-minute monster who can fill up the scoring column in short spurts, but Boston has given him the chance to see more extended run. He’s scoring 7.7 points per game on excellent efficiency, all as a result of the unbelievable amount of work he’s put in behind the scenes.
Pat Spencer (4x BM POTD)
Pat Spencer is one of one. He’s an enthralling showman with braggadocious flair and the game to back up his smack talk. The 6’2” guard was actually a superstar lacrosse player before he joined the league, but you’d think he’s been dribbling a basketball since he was in the womb with how well he processes the game. Spencer is a smooth-as-butter fit in Golden State’s complicated system because of his IQ and motor. He’s genuinely taken over games this year, delivering clutch performances, and he’s done all of it while looking like a corporate employee, making him all the more loveable.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin (4x BM POTD)
Cleveland’s emerging spark plug, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, didn’t even play serious basketball until he got to college. Now he’s an impactful bench player in the best league on Earth. How is that even possible? Well, Tomlin was blessed with physical gifts and he knows how to use them. The Harlem native is lengthy and bouncy and he hustles non-stop. He puts himself in position to score easy points inside, and whenever he gets a catch on a cut, he’s looking to detonate on the rim. In just 17.1 minutes per game, he’s averaging 1.4 offensive rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks. The Cavs as a whole haven’t consistently shown heart this season, but Tomlin always does.
Dylan Cardwell (3x BM POTD)
Nobody has more fun playing basketball than Dylan Cardwell. A smile never leaves his face when he’s on the floor. His celebration bag is bottomless. Some guys only show happiness like that when they’re having a big scoring night. That’s not true of Cardwell because he never has those. That’s right, he’s a rebounding and shot-blocking specialist (a phenomenal one at that), but he absolutely loves his thankless job. The rookie is breathing energy and joy into a lifeless Sacramento team. He’s going to stick around in this league for a long time.
Moussa Cisse (3x BM POTD)
Moussa Cisse is proof that counting stats are far from everything when it comes to player evaluation. Across his five year college career, he averaged a modest 6.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Those figures don’t exactly scream “NBA player,” but he’s popped at the highest level. The undrafted rookie’s towering frame, blanketing reach and explosive leaping ability make him a formidable rim protector and lob threat. There’s no razzle-dazzle to his skillset, but he still makes plays that make you exclaim out loud. He’s given the Mavericks some great minutes this season, making a case for a contract conversion, especially with Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively in street clothes.
For more on Cisse, check out this article.
Jabari Walker (3x BM POTD)
Dominick Barlow, who’s become a regular starter, has been the standout two-way story for the Sixers, but Jabari Walker is doing his thing, too. The rugged power forward is an enforcer on the glass, ranking third in offensive rebound percentage on Philly’s roster and fourth in defensive rebound percentage. He’s also a versatile defender who uses his burly frame to wall up and stop drivers in their tracks. Walker’s ruggedness has been key for the 76ers as they’ve quietly looked like dark horse contenders.
Walker was a member of the 2023-24 All-Bench-Mob Third Team, but this is his first All-Star selection.
Christian Koloko (3x BM POTD)
Koloko’s journey is one of persistence. He’s been through a lot in his young career, most notably a blood clot that kept him sidelined for the entirety of his sophomore campaign. Now fully healthy, he’s fighting to get back on track, but it hasn’t been easy. Two teams let him go this season alone: the Lakers and the Grizzlies. However, the Hawks have welcomed him with open arms since he joined them in January, throwing him right into the fire as a backup. He’s been a much-needed interior presence for Atlanta, notching 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest, looking almost every bit the player he was projected to be in the 2022 draft.
Zeke Nnaji (3x BM POTD)
Few teams have been hit harder with injuries as the Nuggets this year, but they’ve weathered the storm with strong contributions from their reserves. Zeke Nnaji, who’s a veteran for Denver at this point, has had some of the best stretches of his career, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid and coming up victorious. Once a stretch big, he’s transitioned into an opportunistic finisher and a quality interior defender. Maybe his contract isn’t so bad after all.
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