LOS ANGELES – Head coach Doc Rivers will head into the postseason facing something he considers “a great problem.”

Call it a problem or a luxury, but the fact is with the regular season two games from the finish line, Rivers’ bench is playing at its highest level since he took over as head coach three years ago.

“Last year, we were pretty limited,” Rivers said. “This year, we’re almost too deep, if that’s possible.”

And, that means some of the Clippers’ top contributors off the bench this season will inevitably see their minutes dwindle or vanish in the playoffs, though Rivers hasn’t divulged which players will stick as part of the playoff rotation.

He also doesn’t view that decision as any sort of an issue after watching his reserves increase the bench’s production both offensively and defensively this season.

Two years ago, the bench was tied for 22nd in the league among reserve units in points per game (29.4) and 21st in points allowed per game (32.7). Last year, the Clippers’ bench was 22nd again in points per game (30.4) and 28th in points allowed per game (35.4).

This year, the Clippers’ bench jumped to No. 7 in the NBA in points – averaging seven more points per game this season than last season – and No. 12 in points allowed (33.9).

“We play hard at all times,” said Austin Rivers. “Look at how much deeper our team is now. It’s fun playing that way, knowing you have a full group. I think we’ve gotten better and better, and it’s exciting.”

The main contributors remained consistent.

Jamal Crawford’s a Sixth Man of the Year candidate once again and could become the first player ever to win the award three times.

He’s put up the most points per game in the NBA among players with three or fewer starts since Dec. 25 and has the most fourth-quarter points on the Clippers (341) this season. As a team, the Clippers are 42-15 when Crawford scores in double digits this year.

Then there’s Austin Rivers, who’s been touted mostly for his job defensively but is also averaging a career-high 8.7 points per game and shooting a career-high 43.7 percent from the field. He’s capable of breakout performances, as he showed last year in the playoffs in both series and more recently with 32 points against Oklahoma City to end March.

But, it’s the new faces who’ve taken the Clippers’ bench to new heights.

When Blake Griffin thought back to what he learned most about his team while sitting out, the first two names that came out of Griffin’s mouth were Cole Aldrich and Pablo Prigioni, two players averaging around 13 minutes per game this season but who weren’t yet regulars in the rotation prior to Griffin’s three-month absence.

“I learned a lot from the second unit when Cole started playing and Pablo was at the point,” Griffin said. “We’ve got Austin at the two playing with Jamal. I thought our bench production was unbelievable.”

Griffin saw the ball move off the bench, he saw trust defensively, and he saw that trickle throughout the team, something that’s continued to happen since his return.

The Clippers’ bench has averaged 40.8 points per game in 51 games since Dec. 26, the third-most among all reserve units in the NBA in that span, and the Clippers are 30-13 when Aldrich has played 10 or more minutes and 15-4 when Prigioni gets 15 or more minutes.

“Our bench has been good from Christmas on,” Doc Rivers said. “When they’re that good and when they get stops, that’s what I think their improvement has been.”

Aldrich is averaging a career-high 14.6 points per 36 minutes and shooting a career-high 58.3 percent from the field. He became the first player in the NBA this season to post 21 points, 18 rebounds and five steals in a game, joining Crawford in helping hoist a group of largely Clippers reserves past a Jazz team fighting for a playoff spot.

“We’ve had guys in, guys out all year,” Aldrich said. “We just keep on fighting.”

Nearly every Clippers reserve getting significant minutes has experienced standout moments throughout the season, including Jeff Green, who’s now established more consistency late in the year with double-digit scoring performances in eight of his last 11 games.

And, those performances might be appreciated most by the starters, who know they’ll need different reserves to emerge and step up in the playoffs for the Clippers to achieve their goals.

“We ask a lot of everybody,” said DeAndre Jordan. “When Austin’s playing great, Jeff, Sixth Man of the Year in Jamal are playing great, we’re tough, man. I feel like we’ve got so much depth now that it can be anybody’s night.”

That’s especially what the Clippers are hoping for when individual backups get called upon in the postseason.