The NBA is bursting with talent at the moment, and selecting the best starting five from the active players would be no easy task. Former NBA star Derrick Rose was asked to do just that, though, during an interview with HoopsHype, and he came up with an interesting list.
“And if I could pick a five right now, Steph [Curry], two-guard would have to be Ant. Kevin Durant [at the three], Bron [James] at the four, because he plays like a four now,” Rose said. “And Joker [Nikola Jokic]. And that’s no knock to all my peers who still play.
“That’s just a quick five that was on my head, top of my head,” Rose added. “I hope so. It’s a lot of people that I miss, though, but it is what it is… Damn, my bad Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. Damn, I ain’t even throw Shai in there bro. Shai, my bad, Shai.”
Regardless of what players you pick, there are going to be some big omissions. Let’s first have a look at the players Rose selected.
Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry is Rose’s point guard. Curry averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2024-25. His importance to the Warriors was made abundantly clear once again in the playoffs, as the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated them in five games in the Conference Semifinals after he went down with a hamstring injury.
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards is Curry’s backcourt partner in Rose’s team. Edwards averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2024-25. The 23-year-old shone in the playoffs against the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, but then struggled in the Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Regardless, it was another great season for Edwards.
Coming in small forward is LeBron James, whom Edwards sent home in the first round. James still had an impressive 22nd season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Lakers. He was also arguably their best player in the playoffs.
Kevin Durant was the next entry on Rose’s team, and he surprisingly didn’t even make the playoffs this season. The Phoenix Suns were an absolute disaster in 2024-25, finishing 11th in the West with a woeful 36-46 record. Durant was easily their best player, though, as he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
MVP runner-up Nikola Jokic got the nod at center from Rose. Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Denver Nuggets. Jokic shone in the playoffs as well, but the Thunder still eliminated the Nuggets in seven games in the Conference Semifinals. With how dominant the Thunder have been, that’s quite an achievement to take them the distance.
With the exception of Durant, everyone in Rose’s lineup made one of the All-NBA teams this season. Jokic was in the First Team while Curry, Edwards, and James made the Second Team. So, there wasn’t really any outrageous selection there, but you can make the strongest case against Durant, considering the Suns’ failures.
As for who deserves to be in, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the first name that comes to mind. Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP as he led the Thunder to a 68-14 record while averaging 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He has taken his team to the NBA Finals, and you wouldn’t bet against them winning it all.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished third in MVP voting, would be another strong shout. Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the first round, but the Greek superstar doesn’t get much of the blame for that.
