Ranking the Best Lineups in the League

[PhoSita]

Power rankings -- you've seen them.  Lots of them, probably.  Tier lists, too.  Zach Lowe does those.

This is different.

The best team in the regular season is not always the one with the best five man lineup.

But when we think about the teams that are the most imposing, the ones we take the most seriously in crunch time of a close game -- it's usually a question of who can field the best combination of five players.

So I decided to sit down and think about how to rank the 30 teams based on the best 5 man lineups.  For these purposes, I'm coming up with one top lineup for each team, no duplicates.

I'm just gonna do the top 10 for starters.



1.  Patrick Beverley - Landry Shamet - Paul George - Kawhi Leonard - JaMychal Green

(LA Clippers)

Having the Clippers in the top spot is not controversial.  Using a lineup that has Shamet at the 2 and Jam Green at the 5 is more controversial.  My thinking: Lou Will and Harrell are much more valuable when the offense revolves around their 2 man game; in a lineup with the two main stars on the team, their strengths are muted and their weaknesses (defense, size) are magnified.  Jam Green can stretch the floor and attack space; meanwhile, I don't really believe Ivica Zubac will be on the floor in crunch time.  Kawhi is the most dangerous crunch time scorer in the league right now, especially with Durant sidelined, and George is the best #2 in the league.  Bev defends like a madman, while Shamet is your standard issue 6'5'' spot up shooting guard who will hopefully not be a problem defensively.


2.  Russell Westbrook - James Harden - Eric Gordon - PJ Tucker - Clint Capela

(Houston Rockets)

This isn't the second most talented lineup in the league.  Most people would probably put a lineup from the Lakers or Sixers here.  My thing -- this lineup has continuity on its side, with the exception of swapping out Chris Paul and putting in Westbrook.  This lineup has fewer questions about fit and offensive coherence, for me, than the lineups from the Sixers and Lakers.  But I think reasonable people could disagree.


3.  Ben Simmons - Josh Richardson - Tobias Harris - Al Horford - Joel Embiid

(Philadelphia 76ers)

This lineup is huge, and probably has more combined talent than any other team in the league can put together.  The problem is that I'm not convinced that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are at their best when they share the floor.  I'm also skeptical that Horford is ideally placed at the 4 at this point in his career (love you Al, miss you).  Tobias Harris, similarly, seems like he's best at the 4.  Josh Richardson is nice but I wonder if the downgrade in shooting from Redick will hurt more than Richardson's better defense and playmaking will help.  This lineup has the highest ceiling of any in the league, but lots of question marks for me. 


4.  LeBron James - Avery Bradley - Danny Green - Jared Dudley - Anthony Davis

(LA Lakers)

LeBron at the point is weird, but really he's a PF, I don't care what they call him.  He'll defend the least threatening forward / wing on the floor.  Jared Dudley in place of Kuzma?  Yes.  Kuzma plays the same position as LeBron and is a negative defensively.  Dudley can spot up and will be a super try-hard on defense.   Davis is best at center, even though he doesn't like it.  Danny Green is the best wing defender the Lakers have.  Avery Bradley is likewise the best proven on-ball defender the Lakers have, even if he's overrated.  This lineup could be devastatingly awesome, or it could have big problems staying in front of fast, athletic guards with size.  But they'll probably score like gangbusters so long as LeBron and Davis are playing together, irrespective of who is out there with them.


5.  Eric Bledsoe - Wes Matthews - Khris Middleton - Giannis - Brook Lopez

(Milwaukee Bucks)

The Bucks are gonna miss Brogdon, methinks.  Wes Matthews can still play that 3-and-D role, but he's not what you'd ideally prefer as a starter at the 2.  We know Bledsoe is as reliable as an American-manufactured sub-compact when the playoffs roll around, but in the regular season he's a solid two way lead guard.  You could make an argument for putting in Ilyasova over Matthews and moving Middleton and Giannis down a spot, but I'm not sure how much juice Ersan has anymore.  I liked the Bucks better with Mirotic.  Miss that guy and his beard.


6.  Mike Conley - Donovan Mitchell - Joe Ingles - Bojan Bogdanovic - Rudy Gobert

(Utah Jazz)

This is the nerd pick for best lineup in the league and you can see why.  Mike Conley has long been the hipster fave point guard.  This lineup just makes a lot of sense.  Main problem is that it's unclear if Bogdan and Joe can really adequately cover the 3/4 spots.  But I think in most matchups the positives will outweigh the negatives.  There may be growing pains with having Conley or Mitchell operate off the ball for significant stretches, but I really like this lineup.  In theory, this lineup should be able to do everything a modern offense wants to do, while not having any obviously exploitable weak points on the defensive end, unless an opponent plays super huge.


7.  Jamal Murray - Gary Harris - Malik Beasley - Paul Millsap - Nikola Jokic

(Denver Nuggets)

Wide Drexler!  Dwayne Weigh!  Hakeem the Cream!  Dough Jackson!  People enjoy making jokes about how pudgy Nikola Jokic is.  This lineup has the continuity no other top team can boast -- all of the main guys were here last year.  I have Beasley in place of Barton because I think Malik will surpass Barton this year and Barton will be more of a bench guy.  You know what to expect with this lineup in the abstract; you don't know what you're gonna get out of Jamal Murray or Gary Harris on any given night.  The other question mark is to what extent Paul Millsap will be further diminished by age.  He's not the guy he used to be, but as recently as last year he was still a really valuable two way player.  Denver did sign Jerami Grant, who could take Millsap's place, but I'm not ready to lock that in yet.


8.  Dame Lillard - CJ McCollum - Rodney Hood - Zach Collins - Hassan Whiteside

(Portland Trailblazers)

This is a brand thing.  I trust the Lillard - McCollum combo a lot.  I would love to put Nurkic in here but his status coming back from that gruesome injury is a big question mark.  I don't like Whiteside, but supposedly he's friends with Dame and that counts for a lot with me.  Zach Collins doesn't seem ideal as a 4 but he seems a better bet than the immortal Anthony Tolliver or Skal Labissiere.  Rodney Hood seemed to find himself last year, though I'm not sure about him defensively as a 3, especially playing with that backcourt.  But I believe in Dame, and history tells us any lineup with Dame, CJ, and a decent center will be hard to stop.


9.  Malcolm Brogdon - Victor Oladipo - TJ Warren - Domantas Sabonis - Myles Turner

(Indiana Pacers)

This lineup has some unproven elements, but I think Brogdon could fit with any group of 4 guys, almost.  Oladipo is coming off an injury, but I'm trusting that he'll be good once he's back, which will hopefully be soon.  TJ Warren may be better as a 4 on offense but probably won't get much time there given how big this roster is, but that may be for the best defensively.  Sabonis and Turner are not a perfect fit since they're both centers, but they're smart and skilled.  This lineup lacks high end talent and may not always have an easy time scoring, but it's hard to find any real weak points on either end.  I think they'll really pressure opponents, especially in the interior.


10.  Kemba Walker - Marcus Smart - Jayson Tatum - Gordon Hayward - Enes Kanter

(Boston Celtics)

Jaylen stans will be on me for this, but I think he's going to fit best on the second unit.  The best lineup for the Celts will always feature Marcus Smart, and both Tatum and Hayward need to be out there.  I worry about the defensive end with two wings under 6'10'' and a center who defends pick and rolls about as well as I dunk on regulation height basketball rims, which is to say he doesn't and never will, barring divine intervention.  All of that said, this lineup pressures a defense in a way few other lineups in the league can.  If Hayward is all the way back and Tatum is for real about bringing a new intensity and focus to his approach to scoring, this ranking might seem laughably low.  On the other hand, if they defend the rim so poorly they may as well roll out a red carpet to the basket, this could seem laughably high.  Ideally, Rob Williams would age about 5 years with the relevant NBA experience to match and become the starting rim protector / lob finisher, but I don't see that happening.  Maybe Poirier or Theis will turn out to be more reliable in the two-way center role than Kanter.  For now, though, Kanter's history of production scoring and on the boards (and performance in the playoffs last season) weighs heavier than the potential of the other centers on the roster.



I'll post more rankings later.


Interested to hear what people think.

[ETNCeltics]

GSW?

[keevsnick]

Speaking specifically to the Celtics lineup if things break right I do wonder a little about the wisdom of signing Kemba. Like if Hayward is 100% back, and Tatum takes a step can't you make the argument that our team would have been better off Just starting Smart-Brown-Tatum-Hayward and using the Kemba money for a defensive center?

Now obviously those are two BIG if's, and Kemba is really good so if he says yes you have to sign him, but Kemba and Kanter might hemorrhage on defense while still having too many guys who need the ball on offense. There is sort of diminishing returns on offense when none of those guys are elite passers or FTA generators.

[ETNCeltics]

Speaking specifically to the Celtics lineup if things break right I do wonder a little about the wisdom of signing Kemba. Like if Hayward is 100% back, and Tatum takes a step can't you make the argument that our team would have been better off Just starting Smart-Brown-Tatum-Hayward and using the Kemba money for a defensive center?

Now obviously those are two BIG if's, and Kemba is really good so if he says yes you have to sign him, but Kemba and Kanter might hemorrhage on defense while still having too many guys who need the ball on offense. There is sort of diminishing returns on offense when none of those guys are elite passers or FTA generators.

We preserved the cap spot, though, and got a player who, worst case, is eminently tradeable. And as of last summer, what big man was worthy of a huge contract? Moving Kemba in a year or two, while unlikely, is certainly feasible. Trading someone like Capella could likely be far more problematic if required in a year or two.

IMO, Brad doesn't value the big man that many of us wish we had. Think about the last few years. We've had a # of high picks, have signed 3 of the biggest FAs on the market, and made one of the biggest trades in years. And not one of those assets was used to acquire a true big. Some could argue that Ainge was marshaling everything to make a play for his ultimate big (Davis), but Ainge isn't a fool, he's had to always know that acquiring a specific player like that is a long shot.

[PhoSita]

GSW?

They're just a little further down the list for me.

Until Klay comes back they are going to be forced to field lineups with multiple question marks.

I think they're good though.

[johnnygreen]

GSW?

They're just a little further down the list for me.

Until Klay comes back they are going to be forced to field lineups with multiple question marks.

I think they're good though.

Technically, Paul George is recovering from off-season surgery too, and won't be available until sometime in November. As much as I like George and Leonard, that remaining Clippers starting line-up is OK at best.

[PhoSita]

GSW?

They're just a little further down the list for me.

Until Klay comes back they are going to be forced to field lineups with multiple question marks.

I think they're good though.

Technically, Paul George is recovering from off-season surgery too, and won't be available until sometime in November. As much as I like George and Leonard, that remaining Clippers starting line-up is OK at best.

Difference there is that Klay won't be back until February or March at the earliest, and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have him come back this year, depending on where they are in the standings.


I'm not ranking lineups based entirely on who is currently available.  Rather, I'm looking at what lineups I think teams could field for a substantial portion of the season.  I admit it's somewhat arbitrary, but that's why I would include George (or Oladipo) on the one hand, while excluding Klay on the other.

[celticsclay]

I would have Lakers ahead of philly. If Philly had brought back Butler instead of Horford in, I think I would have begrudgingly put that at number 1. I really long AL at a 4 at his age and lateral speed.

[footey]

I would put Lakers number 1. They have 2 of the 3-4 best players on one team.

[gouki88]

I would put Lakers number 1. They have 2 of the 3-4 best players on one team.

Besides AD and LeBron their starting lineup is really not amazing. The Clips have as good a star duo and better role players, IMO

[PhoSita]

I would put Lakers number 1. They have 2 of the 3-4 best players on one team.

My main issue with the Lakers lineup is that it puts a ton of pressure on Davis and Danny Green to be amazing defensively because they don't have any really good guard defenders (AB is small and sorta long in the tooth at this point), and Bron doesn't bring it on defense like that anymore.


Also the Lakers are lacking in smaller guys who can handle and create shots.  But mainly I think the issues will be defensively.

[tstorey_97]

Power rankings -- you've seen them.  Lots of them, probably.  Tier lists, too.  Zach Lowe does those.

This is different.

The best team in the regular season is not always the one with the best five man lineup.

But when we think about the teams that are the most imposing, the ones we take the most seriously in crunch time of a close game -- it's usually a question of who can field the best combination of five players.

So I decided to sit down and think about how to rank the 30 teams based on the best 5 man lineups.  For these purposes, I'm coming up with one top lineup for each team, no duplicates.

I'm just gonna do the top 10 for starters.



1.  Patrick Beverley - Landry Shamet - Paul George - Kawhi Leonard - JaMychal Green

(LA Clippers)

Having the Clippers in the top spot is not controversial.  Using a lineup that has Shamet at the 2 and Jam Green at the 5 is more controversial.  My thinking: Lou Will and Harrell are much more valuable when the offense revolves around their 2 man game; in a lineup with the two main stars on the team, their strengths are muted and their weaknesses (defense, size) are magnified.  Jam Green can stretch the floor and attack space; meanwhile, I don't really believe Ivica Zubac will be on the floor in crunch time.  Kawhi is the most dangerous crunch time scorer in the league right now, especially with Durant sidelined, and George is the best #2 in the league.  Bev defends like a madman, while Shamet is your standard issue 6'5'' spot up shooting guard who will hopefully not be a problem defensively.


2.  Russell Westbrook - James Harden - Eric Gordon - PJ Tucker - Clint Capela

(Houston Rockets)

This isn't the second most talented lineup in the league.  Most people would probably put a lineup from the Lakers or Sixers here.  My thing -- this lineup has continuity on its side, with the exception of swapping out Chris Paul and putting in Westbrook.  This lineup has fewer questions about fit and offensive coherence, for me, than the lineups from the Sixers and Lakers.  But I think reasonable people could disagree.


3.  Ben Simmons - Josh Richardson - Tobias Harris - Al Horford - Joel Embiid

(Philadelphia 76ers)

This lineup is huge, and probably has more combined talent than any other team in the league can put together.  The problem is that I'm not convinced that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are at their best when they share the floor.  I'm also skeptical that Horford is ideally placed at the 4 at this point in his career (love you Al, miss you).  Tobias Harris, similarly, seems like he's best at the 4.  Josh Richardson is nice but I wonder if the downgrade in shooting from Redick will hurt more than Richardson's better defense and playmaking will help.  This lineup has the highest ceiling of any in the league, but lots of question marks for me. 


4.  LeBron James - Avery Bradley - Danny Green - Jared Dudley - Anthony Davis

(LA Lakers)

LeBron at the point is weird, but really he's a PF, I don't care what they call him.  He'll defend the least threatening forward / wing on the floor.  Jared Dudley in place of Kuzma?  Yes.  Kuzma plays the same position as LeBron and is a negative defensively.  Dudley can spot up and will be a super try-hard on defense.   Davis is best at center, even though he doesn't like it.  Danny Green is the best wing defender the Lakers have.  Avery Bradley is likewise the best proven on-ball defender the Lakers have, even if he's overrated.  This lineup could be devastatingly awesome, or it could have big problems staying in front of fast, athletic guards with size.  But they'll probably score like gangbusters so long as LeBron and Davis are playing together, irrespective of who is out there with them.


5.  Eric Bledsoe - Wes Matthews - Khris Middleton - Giannis - Brook Lopez

(Milwaukee Bucks)

The Bucks are gonna miss Brogdon, methinks.  Wes Matthews can still play that 3-and-D role, but he's not what you'd ideally prefer as a starter at the 2.  We know Bledsoe is as reliable as an American-manufactured sub-compact when the playoffs roll around, but in the regular season he's a solid two way lead guard.  You could make an argument for putting in Ilyasova over Matthews and moving Middleton and Giannis down a spot, but I'm not sure how much juice Ersan has anymore.  I liked the Bucks better with Mirotic.  Miss that guy and his beard.


6.  Mike Conley - Donovan Mitchell - Joe Ingles - Bojan Bogdanovic - Rudy Gobert

(Utah Jazz)

This is the nerd pick for best lineup in the league and you can see why.  Mike Conley has long been the hipster fave point guard.  This lineup just makes a lot of sense.  Main problem is that it's unclear if Bogdan and Joe can really adequately cover the 3/4 spots.  But I think in most matchups the positives will outweigh the negatives.  There may be growing pains with having Conley or Mitchell operate off the ball for significant stretches, but I really like this lineup.  In theory, this lineup should be able to do everything a modern offense wants to do, while not having any obviously exploitable weak points on the defensive end, unless an opponent plays super huge.


7.  Jamal Murray - Gary Harris - Malik Beasley - Paul Millsap - Nikola Jokic

(Denver Nuggets)

Wide Drexler!  Dwayne Weigh!  Hakeem the Cream!  Dough Jackson!  People enjoy making jokes about how pudgy Nikola Jokic is.  This lineup has the continuity no other top team can boast -- all of the main guys were here last year.  I have Beasley in place of Barton because I think Malik will surpass Barton this year and Barton will be more of a bench guy.  You know what to expect with this lineup in the abstract; you don't know what you're gonna get out of Jamal Murray or Gary Harris on any given night.  The other question mark is to what extent Paul Millsap will be further diminished by age.  He's not the guy he used to be, but as recently as last year he was still a really valuable two way player.  Denver did sign Jerami Grant, who could take Millsap's place, but I'm not ready to lock that in yet.


8.  Dame Lillard - CJ McCollum - Rodney Hood - Zach Collins - Hassan Whiteside

(Portland Trailblazers)

This is a brand thing.  I trust the Lillard - McCollum combo a lot.  I would love to put Nurkic in here but his status coming back from that gruesome injury is a big question mark.  I don't like Whiteside, but supposedly he's friends with Dame and that counts for a lot with me.  Zach Collins doesn't seem ideal as a 4 but he seems a better bet than the immortal Anthony Tolliver or Skal Labissiere.  Rodney Hood seemed to find himself last year, though I'm not sure about him defensively as a 3, especially playing with that backcourt.  But I believe in Dame, and history tells us any lineup with Dame, CJ, and a decent center will be hard to stop.


9.  Malcolm Brogdon - Victor Oladipo - TJ Warren - Domantas Sabonis - Myles Turner

(Indiana Pacers)

This lineup has some unproven elements, but I think Brogdon could fit with any group of 4 guys, almost.  Oladipo is coming off an injury, but I'm trusting that he'll be good once he's back, which will hopefully be soon.  TJ Warren may be better as a 4 on offense but probably won't get much time there given how big this roster is, but that may be for the best defensively.  Sabonis and Turner are not a perfect fit since they're both centers, but they're smart and skilled.  This lineup lacks high end talent and may not always have an easy time scoring, but it's hard to find any real weak points on either end.  I think they'll really pressure opponents, especially in the interior.


10.  Kemba Walker - Marcus Smart - Jayson Tatum - Gordon Hayward - Enes Kanter

(Boston Celtics)

Jaylen stans will be on me for this, but I think he's going to fit best on the second unit.  The best lineup for the Celts will always feature Marcus Smart, and both Tatum and Hayward need to be out there.  I worry about the defensive end with two wings under 6'10'' and a center who defends pick and rolls about as well as I dunk on regulation height basketball rims, which is to say he doesn't and never will, barring divine intervention.  All of that said, this lineup pressures a defense in a way few other lineups in the league can.  If Hayward is all the way back and Tatum is for real about bringing a new intensity and focus to his approach to scoring, this ranking might seem laughably low.  On the other hand, if they defend the rim so poorly they may as well roll out a red carpet to the basket, this could seem laughably high.  Ideally, Rob Williams would age about 5 years with the relevant NBA experience to match and become the starting rim protector / lob finisher, but I don't see that happening.  Maybe Poirier or Theis will turn out to be more reliable in the two-way center role than Kanter.  For now, though, Kanter's history of production scoring and on the boards (and performance in the playoffs last season) weighs heavier than the potential of the other centers on the roster.



I'll post more rankings later.


Interested to hear what people think.

TP to PhoSita for extensive break down.

Doc's Clips could be there at the end.

Be interesting to see how clubs with a "lot of offense" on the court at the same time will adjust....(cough) Westbrook.

Also, will a team that has dedicated itself to losing for so long be able to grasp how to win...(sniff) Philly.

[tazzmaniac]

I would put Lakers number 1. They have 2 of the 3-4 best players on one team.

Besides AD and LeBron their starting lineup is really not amazing. The Clips have as good a star duo and better role players, IMO

Beyond the top 2, the Lakers lineup isn't amazing but neither is the Clips.  Danny Green is the best of the rest.  JaMychal Green at starting center is rather weak.  I don't see either as having the best lineup. 

[gouki88]

I would put Lakers number 1. They have 2 of the 3-4 best players on one team.

Besides AD and LeBron their starting lineup is really not amazing. The Clips have as good a star duo and better role players, IMO

Beyond the top 2, the Lakers lineup isn't amazing but neither is the Clips.  Danny Green is the best of the rest.  JaMychal Green at starting center is rather weak.  I don't see either as having the best lineup.

I quite comfortably have Beverley ahead of Danny Green for this upcoming season. I'd also probably start Zubac at center.

What lineup do you rank as #1?

[tazzmaniac]

I would put Lakers number 1. They have 2 of the 3-4 best players on one team.

Besides AD and LeBron their starting lineup is really not amazing. The Clips have as good a star duo and better role players, IMO

Beyond the top 2, the Lakers lineup isn't amazing but neither is the Clips.  Danny Green is the best of the rest.  JaMychal Green at starting center is rather weak.  I don't see either as having the best lineup.

I quite comfortably have Beverley ahead of Danny Green for this upcoming season. I'd also probably start Zubac at center.

What lineup do you rank as #1?

I haven't looked at alternate lineups.  Considering the lineups presented and assuming we're focused on the playoffs, I'd rank the Sixers #1.  The Lakers and Clips top 2 players are great but their 3rd through 5th players are behind all the Sixers starters.  The Sixers should be a beast on defense.  There are certainly questions on offense.  The loss of Redick more so than Butler.  I don't see the concern about Horford at the 4.  Horford and Baynes played quite well together the last two seasons.  Being able to slide Horford to the backup 5 is going to be huge for the Sixers in the playoffs. 

As for matchups, I think the Sixers matchup quite well with the Bucks and Lakers.  Clips would be a tougher matchup for them.