There were a few years where many teams gambled and cheaped out on backup
PG's. Sometimes an injury to a starting PG meant a min salary guy had to start.
But it seems there's a new trend of some teams eschewing backup PG's altogether.
ATL has Trae Young and no other PG. Evan Turner the closest approximation.
GS has Scurry and ____? I guess it's tangelo when Scurry sits (after Klay returns). But Kerr plans to use Scurry, Tangelo and Klay together, mostly because they don't have a starting quality SF. Thinnest GS team in a long while.
MIA has Dragic, who breaks down often, and an undrafted GLeague combo guard named Kendrick Nunn.
As for the cheap route:
BOS has two 2nd round rooks as their backup PG's. But likely combo guard Smart is the backup PG. Thinnest Celt team in quite a while.
CHA a 2nd year 2nd rounder (Devonte Graham) as backup to Rozier, a first time starter.
PHX has three late PG draft picks behind Rubio (two early 2nd rounders)
That's 5 or 6 teams barely prioritizing backup PG at all.
I don't understand the thinking. Seems the idea is that a wing can handle much of the distributing and ballhandling -- a Jimmy Butler, Paul George, etc.
A few teams run 3 deep at PG:
IND, DAL, KNIX, NOPe, TOR, CHI (sorta), LAL. OKC (until they trade CP3 or Shrodeinger's Cat)