Having a strong starting unit is one of the main things you need to do if you’re trying to build a winning squad, and even though depth and bench players are also important, nothing beats a solid starting 5.
- 10. D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Jared Dudley, Jarrett Allen (106 ppg, -2.4 ntrg)
- 9. Chris Paul, James Ennis, James Harden, PJ Tucker, Clint Capela (103.9 ppg, -2.4 ntrg)
- 8. Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner (103.9 ppg, -0.2 ntrg)
- 7. Patrick Beverley, Avery Bradley, Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris, Marcin Gortat (100.0 ppg, -3.1 ntrg)
- 6. Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Joel Embiid (98.3 ppg, -0.4 ntrg)
- 5. Ricky Rubio, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert (98.2 ppg, -1.1 ntrg)
- 4. Tyler Craig, Gari Harris, Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic (96.3 ppg, – 4.7 ntrg)
- 3. Dennis Smith Jr, Luka Doncic, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews Jr, DeAndre Jordan (93.4 ppg, -8.8 ntrg)
- 2. Ryan Arcidiacono, Zach LaVine, Justin Holiday, Jabari Parker, Wendell Carter Jr (90.9 ppg, -0.1 ntrg)
- 1. Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford (90.5 ppg, -4.5 ntrg)
Moreover, some teams have really struggled to establish a system because of constant injuries or lineup shifts, something that obviously takes a toll on their record and their ability to compete.
This season, we’ve seen some lineups that have flat out been a major disaster, either because of defensive breakdowns, spacing or because they’re many ball-dominant players. Today, we’re going to let you know about the worst starting 5s in the league.
10. D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Jared Dudley, Jarrett Allen (106 ppg, -2.4 ntrg)
The Brooklyn Net’s starting 5 has looked slightly better this season than how they looked last year. But even so, they’ve mightily struggled to get stops even despite having a decent offensive system.
Sadly, they’re going to be without Caris LeVert for a little longer while he heals a gruesome injury that could’ve ended his season, but even there, this team won’t be contending any time soon.
9. Chris Paul, James Ennis, James Harden, PJ Tucker, Clint Capela (103.9 ppg, -2.4 ntrg)
The Houston Rockets have been one of the most disappointing teams of the season, although we have to admit that they’ve looked quite better over the last week or so upon James Harden’s return and Carmelo’s waiving.
Still, this team just doesn’t have what it takes and they haven’t been able to get stops the way they did last year, mostly because James Ennis isn’t nearly half as good as Trevor Ariza was in the defensive end.
8. Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner (103.9 ppg, -0.2 ntrg)
The Indiana Pacers haven’t been as good as they were last year, where they weren’t even supposed to make it to the playoffs and Victor Oladipo had a breakout year and got his first All-Star nod.
This year, nonetheless, and even despite the fact that they’re the same group that started games the prior campaign; they have really struggled in the defensive end, while the offense looks really better with Domantas Sabonis on the court.
7. Patrick Beverley, Avery Bradley, Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris, Marcin Gortat (100.0 ppg, -3.1 ntrg)
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the most bizarre teams of the NBA. On one hand, they don’t have a solid starting unit, but they have a lot of depth. On the other, they aren’t able to get stops but still win games they were supposed to lose.
Montrezl Harrell has been a major stud for them but somehow isn’t starting, while Boban Marjanovic keeps having solid minutes. Obviously, Lou Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander have also played better than the starters.
6. Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Joel Embiid (98.3 ppg, -0.4 ntrg)
We all love how the Sixers used to play last year, and everybody thought they were going to be even better this season, something that didn’t happen, at least prior to the trade that got them Jimmy Butler.
Gladly for them, both Saric and Covington have now left the team in order to have Jimmy Buckets on board. Now, they’re looking like a much more balanced offense with a guy that can create off the dribble.
5. Ricky Rubio, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert (98.2 ppg, -1.1 ntrg)
The Utah Jazz hasn’t looked nearly half as good as they were last season, and they definitely need to make an adjustment if they don’t want to miss the playoffs or get knocked out in the first round.
Mitchell hasn’t been as efficient, Rubio has been outplayed by Dante Exum and Derrick Favors is looking like Enes Kanter 2.0, minus the rebounding ability. Still, they’re likely going to figure it out soon.
4. Tyler Craig, Gari Harris, Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic (96.3 ppg, – 4.7 ntrg)
The Denver Nuggets have been forced to improvise at the wings with Will Barton in the sidelines and Juancho Hernangomez struggling with consistency, but, so far; Tyler Craig hasn’t been a good option there.
Not only they’re struggling to get stops with this lineup, but they’re also terrible in the offensive end as well. In this lineup, Jamal Murray looks like the only consistent scorer, and spacing is a major issue for them.
3. Dennis Smith Jr, Luka Doncic, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews Jr, DeAndre Jordan (93.4 ppg, -8.8 ntrg)
The Dallas Mavericks are still trying to figure out how to win games amid the boost they’ve gotten from Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan, as well as trying to adapt to playing without Dirk Nowitzki.
Even so, perhaps starting Dirk won’t be that bad of an idea as soon as he’s healthy, as this lineup has vastly struggled to score, and Wesley Matthews Jr hasn’t been prolific in the offensive end.
2. Ryan Arcidiacono, Zach LaVine, Justin Holiday, Jabari Parker, Wendell Carter Jr (90.9 ppg, -0.1 ntrg)
The Chicago Bulls haven’t even been able to establish a consistent starting 5 due to the fact that Kris Dunn and Cameron Payne have both been injured, while coach Hoiberg has been uncommitted to starting Jabari Parker as well.
These young Bulls feature a lot of talent, but they’re a major chaos in both sides of the hardwood. While LaVine and Carter have been studs, this team needs a better coaching staff that could actually make the most of their potential.
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1. Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford (90.5 ppg, -4.5 ntrg)
The prior offseason, we all thought the Celtics were going to be the most stacked team in the East, but they’ve proven that it takes way more than just 5 talented players to win games in the best league in the world.
Hayward and Brown have looked lost and out of confidence, Irving is finally coming together following a slow start of the season, and Jayson Tatum has regressed a bit. They just have too many scorers and need to find a way to share the wealth before is too late.
