The Toronto Raptors bench is one of the best second units in the NBA. Several players part of the unit are responsible for this feat. The Raptors believe that the Sixth Man of the Year award should be given to the entire bench, and not just a single person.

As posted on the Raptors' Twitter account, they are actively campaigning for the Sixth Man award to be given to the whole second unit. They posted several promotional materials, one for each player.

They are currently fourth in points per game with 41.8 per night. What's interesting in the Raptors' case is that among the top four in bench points per night, they're the only one who are in the playoffs.

Sacramento Kings possess the top scoring second unit with 44.7 points a night, then the Brooklyn Nets with 44.2 points a night, followed by the L.A. Clippers with 42.4 a night. The Raptors' bench rating is the best in the league at 51.5.

Given the statistics, it goes to show that a bench is only good not by just the points they rack up once the starters take a rest. It's about how much they can contribute, given a short amount of playing time, to the team's success.

Reserve forward Pascal Siakam shared that the bench plays hard against the starters during practice. This is perhaps the reason why they perform at a high-level during games. As reported by Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun:

“But it’s fun when we get to compete against them,” Siakam said of the starters. “It gives it that mood and atmopshere in practice where everyone is engaged, DeMar and Kyle, everyone so it was fun.”