Ranking Every NBA Team’s Starting 5

So, BR put together an article where they rank in every starter five going into the next season. Obviously, LeBron James just signed with the 76ers. And And based on the way it's framed, we know that they're going to be number one. But, I I saw a lot of people saying that this is elite-level rage bait by Bleacher Report. I don't really know what the context of of that is, but I'm so here to figure it out. So, leave a like, subscribe, let's dive into this. This video IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SEATGEEK. Hit the link IN THE DESCRIPTION, USE KFR10 to get 10% off your purchase of tickets. SeatGeek takes tickets from all over the internet and puts them in one central location for you. Almost used for sporting events, but they got concerts, comedy, Broadway, festivals. You got to check out SeatGeek first if you need tickets because it is the easiest way to find them. Let me show you how easy it truly is. Uh I'm going to be in LA and I have not seen a Dodger game live. 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All odds are that they have them as the number one starting five in the league. But, let's see the rest. The worst starting five in the NBA, according to Bleacher Report, is the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, I do want to say, maybe it's just because I'm deprived of NBA hoops over the last however many weeks. Um I feel like every lineup is going to have its charm. You know what I mean? Ryan Rollins was really good last season. Tyler Herro got an extra chip on his shoulder. Jaime Jaquez is doing Jaime Jaquez stuff. Kyle Kuzma was caught doing um AI tweets. And Myles Turner can't be much worse than what he was last year. There's there's intrigue here. I like Brandon Ingram. Oh, wait, this is just about to start. It's not the teams. This is just about to start this, Kenny. Forget about who's coming off the bench or all the younger players. It's just this five-man unit. And honestly speaking, um it could be worse for the Bucks. It could be worse for the Bucks. And the reason I say that is I'm thinking about all the times a team has traded away their all-time greatest player, one of their all-time greatest players, and what that next year's team looked like. This this is not a good team, don't get me wrong. But there's a level of intrigue on this team that makes me feel better about this team than let's say like the Cavs the year LeBron went to the the Miami Heat. You know what I mean? So, again, I don't think they're winning a bunch of games. But number 30, sure. Number 29, the Brooklyn Nets. Another team with some good intrigue. They got some young players with this backcourt. Uh Yegor Demin looked pretty good in Summer League. Michael Brown Jr. was pretty solid. MPJ had a career year. Julius Randle was a floor raiser. Day'Ron Sharpe finally gets starting minutes after being the greatest rebounder since Day'Ron Sharpe. Um but 29 makes some sense to me. I think this could be a I don't know. I don't want to give win numbers out. That feels weird. Um next we got the Sacramento Kings. Okay, De'Aaron Fox, Zach LaVine, De'Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, Domantas When you put it like this? No, it's still not a good team. >> [laughter] >> It's still not a good team. Um yeah, this feels about So far, I would say, "Huh, which of these two teams' starting five would I rather have?" I think I'd rather have the Brooklyn Nets' starting five over the Sacramento Kings' starting five. Is that crazy? I mean, it's one spot and it's the bottom three teams in the league. So, let's not Let me not act like that's blasphemy. But I kind of feel like I would like I like the Brooklyn Nets' STARTING FIVE A LITTLE bit more. Maybe just because of the the unknown to these two players, while like I know these four players, if that makes sense. All right, next we got the Memphis Grizzlies. Yo, I am buying all Grizzly stock. I cannot wait to watch this team. I don't know if they're going to be very good, but like this starting unit looks solid to me. Tyus Jones didn't play a ton last season, but when he did play he was really good. Jaylen Wells good. Sage Coward a stud. Cam Boozer a stud. Zach Edey if he can be healthy a stud. I like this team. Then they have players off the bench. I know this is not about the bench, but I just want to talk about the Memphis Grizzlies of Jeremy Grant, Isaiah Stewart. I feel like I'm forgetting a Scotty Pippen Jr. I feel like I'm forgetting forgetting about a good amount of people, but solid enough roster to make me feel like 27 feels low. Who's 26? The The The Chicago Bulls. Just kidding. Norman Powell, Mason Plumlee, Caleb Wilson, and of course Nicolas Claxton. Yeah, man, we got basically a new starting five, which is so fun, so interesting. Norman Powell's going to take every shot. End of sentence. I think that I think that's just the end of the sentence. Um I think they're going to be a fun team. I think they're going to be a very good team. They're going to have a lot of highlights between a lot of these guys running on the floor. I can't wait to watch them play, but 26 feels solid. Who's above them? Charlotte Hor- Wow. Now, okay, wait, wait, wait. One step at a time. This would be a huge fall off, especially considering if they would have ran back the team that they had, which is LaMelo, Con- B-Mills, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabaté. Just based on the stats, it was one of the best starting fives in the league. But now when you replace, you know, LaMelo with Kobe White, you replace Miles Bridges with Naz Reid, and so on, it does fall off a little bit. This still feels pretty low, but it is a level of unknown here compared to last season that I can't really fault them too much. It is better than the Bulls. It is better better than the Grizzlies and every team beneath it, but who's the team right above them? The Clips. Interesting. Which starting unit would you rather have? Now, there's two All-Star caliber players here with Brandon Ingram and Darius Garland. It's been a little minute for Darius Garland, but Brandon Ingram literally was an All-Star just last season. Again, we're assuming that that trade does go through. Brook Lopez, I don't know how much longer he can be a starter level player. Would I rather be Would I rather have this starting five? I think I might rather have the Charlotte Hornets starting five. No, I'm tripping, right? No, I'm Am I tripping? Oh, am I tripping for I don't know, bro. I don't know. Interesting. Okay. Oh, so they got Kyrie, Max Christie, Cooper Flag, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively the the second. Shout out to Dereck Lively. Hopefully he's he's ready by the time the season starts. Um see Clippers and then I mean Cooper Flag is a stud. I think that's what it boils down to. Kyrie Irving's coming off the ACL, so we'll see what he looks like, but Kyrie Irving's a stud. Dereck Lively coming off the big foot injury. So like there's there's some there's some question marks in that starting lineup based off coming off injuries. How do they look immediately after? Next we got the Wow, I'm actually surprised at the Wizards being so low. I'm actually surprised the Wizards are so low because while I'm not a guy that's going to act like the Wizards are a guaranteed top six seed, I think this projected starting unit should be pretty good. You know, Trae Young is an engine of offense to himself. And again, I don't I don't know how much they're playing for injury risk and all this. Again, I'm just looking at the starting unit in itself. You may say Kenny Anthony Davis is going to play 38 games. I don't care about that right now. It's just just looking at the unit that I see in front of me. This is a competent good unit. You may say they may lack some catch and shoot, you know, we got to see what A.J. Dybantsa's jump shot looks like at the next level. Keshawn George can be hit or miss, but like I think this team this this unit this this five-man unit is pretty solid. The front court defensively like Alex Sarr eye test defensively is so much better than what the statistics say in my personal opinion, but if you got him and Anthony Davis together, that seems solid even if Anthony Davis is on the the second part of his career. I like I don't know. Who's right above them? The Pel I I I like the Wizards starting unit more than I like the Pelicans starting unit. And the Pelicans always make jokes about the Pelicans. They have good NBA players, but for whatever reason, none of it really works out. Um based on last season, this is just, you know, rookie Dereck Dereck Lively, so I don't want to look too much into it, but these two guys just struggled to play together. Their own their numbers together were awful. I just don't know how much burn they can really have with that. I don't know if that's just year two progressive for Derek Queen to make it look better, but like all five of these players I actually really like. Um but it's just something about them playing together that is a that is a struggle. And then you got Jeremiah Fears. It's like I feel like he should be a starter, but it's like for who? Who's Who's coming off the bench here? You need Herb's defense. You need Trey Murphy's shooting. You need Desmond as a playmaker. You need Zion as of course being a Zion. And you need the size of Derek Queen. Even if like peop- I don't People in New Orleans don't even believe that Derek Queen is a true center. You know? So I I think I would rather have that Wizards starting unit over this starting unit. Even though like the ceiling of this unit seems crazy if you can get a peak Zion, but like Zion played his one of his most amount of games last season. And he was really good, but he he still couldn't turn what that Pelicans team was doing around. Um even though they did have a a resurgence a resurgence at the end of last season. The Suns at 20. I actually like the Suns unit. Um I still don't like the trade in in the vacuum, you know, them acquiring Miles Bridges considering what they gave up for him. And I'm just not a Miles Bridges guy front to front to uh to end. But I think the starting unit is competent. I think it makes sense on paper. I think it makes sense in practicality. Um so 20 seems kind of low. The Warriors. I that feels kind of high. Let's Let's Let's focus on the Suns here though. Um Jalen Green barely played last season it feels like. Dillon Brooks was really good until he broke his hand and all. I like this unit. Do I like this Wizards unit more than that unit? See, I'm trying to figure out where do I want the Wizards to be? I like the Wizards more than the Pelicans starting unit. Do I like them more than the Suns starting unit? Probably not. Probably not. There's There's There's like real real vets here. These are These are guys that know how to win regular season games between Book, you know, Dillon Brooks and so on so. I'm okay with them being there. I I don't know, man. I don't know. Maybe Maybe I'm just turned off by the lack of movement for the Warriors and them putting all their eggs in the LeBron basket, but I just don't love this this starting unit. I just don't love the starting unit. I actually surprised they got Yax with the with the three here. I just don't know who I would have other than him. So, I guess it is Yax cuz Moses Moody's going to miss if not the entire season or the majority of the season. Same thing with Jimmy Butler. I mean, Steph Curry's carrying the load here crazily. I mean, Porzingis is good when he plays, but I just I don't love this five-man unit, man. I don't love it. And hopefully they prove me wrong, but this feels really this feels pretty high. That feels pretty And it's only 19. It's only 19, Kenny, but this feels pretty high. I'm not a I'm not a big fan of what this Warriors team going into the season. Next we got the Orlando Magic. It's a really nice, competent lineup. You know, Desmond Bane, especially after what the first 10 or 15 games was amazing. Just maybe one under the radar. Jalen Suggs struggles to stay healthy, but he's a nice engine. Paolo and Franz, this feels like a okay spot for them. Let's see who's one spot above of them. The Blazers. Ja Oh my god. Dude, Ja Dame backcourt. Bro, Toumani and Klay Green, bro, y'all got to step the hell up defensively if that's going to be our backcourt, dog. I mean, it's it's going to it's going to produce a lot of moments, a lot of highlights. It's going to be fun, for sure. Dame coming off the All-Star. Um I like that unit or Orlando unit more. I just I don't know. I guess I just It's When you think about I'm thinking about a lot of these players coming off these major injuries from from Kyrie Irving to their lively to like now we talking about Damian Lillard. And I'm always just a little bit skeptical of what they're going to look like, especially early into the season. Um but I I can't wait to watch them play. You know, they got a interim coach. I'm going to call them that until he gets a more than one-year deal. Then we get the LA Lakers at 16. Luka, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Mamou, and and Walker Kessler. Huh. Am I Am I crazy to say that Luka Doncic in himself makes this team higher even if I don't love the full starting unit? They got 77 on the team. Who's right above them? The Utah Jazz I think okay, as a collection, the Utah Jazz starting five is better. But 77 by himself makes me want to put them higher. I got I ain't going to lie to you. This 77 by himself makes me want to put them put them higher. I do I do think they're going to struggle defensively. Walker Kessler's going to have to carry his a lot. Quentin Grimes got to really truly lock in as a point of attack defender at 6'4 and then Mama's got to have the type of season he had last year in Toronto. But 77's on the team and he's healthy and that's enough for for me for me just for me. That's enough for me. And then you did see 15 of the Utah Jazz. I cannot wait to see them play. I'm was really impressed with some of the D- Daron Peterson's um summer league especially when he got to Vegas wasn't the greatest. But there was like there's a small nugget here there that you could really take away like, "Okay, I already questioned like what the play making look like on this team." A huge pressure on Keyonte George. Nice year coming off the bench. I was really impressed with some of the Daron Peterson passing. So I'm I'm maybe less worried about that for the Jazz today. Jusuf Nurkic truly is a starting center and he actually was good for them. After we talked trash about him on the podcast, he had a month straight was like, "Oh my god, he's putting up these type of numbers and he's passing very well as like a hub and he helps with the the play making as well. Um I don't know what to expect from him defensively. Jaren of course is a former DPOY. But I just don't know how much I expect, you know, Keyonte and Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic to really help out there. I think Daron Peterson is going to fight a lot defensively, but he is going to be a rookie defensive player and very rarely do a rookie defensive player come in and be a plus defensive player. The Miami Heat are number 14. Whoa. So the Utah Jazz are squished between the Lakers and the Heat. So it's Davion, Tim Hardaway Jr. Okay, I'm I would I would expect to be Peja Larson, but maybe I'm wrong there. I just feel like Tim Hardaway Jr. is just primed to be a sixth man for the rest of his career. Wiggs, Yiannis, and Bam. Like yeah, the fit might not be great. They may not have a ton outside shooting. Maybe that's why they they are putting Tim Hardaway Jr. in that lineup strictly for the shooting. But these two guys are enough to make me feel like that starting lineup is more than what it is. Who's right above them? Detroit. Ooh. It still feels low. It still feels low to have a team with Giannis and Bam on it. Like you know what I'm saying? I I still I still think that Giannis is going to be a force. I still think Bam is, you know, one of the best defensive players in the world still. And now he's got Giannis. Like this this unit defensively, forget about who's starting at the two or whatever. This is like bonafide top whatever defensively and the offense is going to be at least solid enough because they got Giannis on the team. Even if the fit might be a little weird. Then we do get the Pistons who Yeah, we still write in Jalen Duren cuz I don't know. Obviously, I don't know everything, but it just feels like Jalen Duren will be back on the team via restricted free agency or qualifying offer. I just don't know what to think about the John Collins pick up. I mentioned that when he first signed there. Actually, I don't think the video of came out. Um I don't know what to feel about it just yet. I got to I got to see it in practice. Cade is Sarr and Duncan. I like them as a top three and and Jalen Duren, but like I don't know. Thaddeus Young Thaddeus Young added like Thaddeus Young of course has his ups and downs as a and every team he's been a part of. I feel like there there's months where fan bases absolutely hate him and there's months where he was the king and that was like um in that post season run he had multiple 20-point games in a row. But one thing he did provide was some off the bounce creation that they desperately needed. I look at this lineup and say, "Golly, who is creating for themselves outside of Mr. Mr. Cade Cunningham?" And it's a it's a UM WHOA. I believe the Timberwolves are way lower than they should. I think that this whoa. I'm again, just looking at five-man units. I don't think there's 11 five-man units that are better than this one. I think they got Now, yeah, I don't know, bro. I don't know. I I have to got to see it. We got to see it. Maybe this is my TikTok brain and Twitter brain looking at this backcourt and saying they're going to make it work. But Rudy Gobert is still one of the best defensive players in the world. Jaden McDaniels is still one of the best defensive players in the world. I don't assume it was a decent enough defender. Anthony Edwards, when he wants to be a good good defensive player. And then LaMelo Ball it did like Anthony Edwards got a point guard for the first time in forever. No disrespect to Mike Conley. This is not the 12th best starting lineup in the league. I'm sorry. Who's right above them? The C's? Who's right above them? The Oh Oh Oh. NO, I STILL I STILL THINK MINNESOTA'S WAY TOO LOW. The C's are number 11 though. Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Paul George, Jason Tatum, Mitchell Robinson. This is a very good lineup. Don't get me wrong. It's a very good lineup. Um I do feel good to Oh. I do feel I don't know. I look at this lineup and say, "Yeah, this is a good lineup." But I'm way more comfortable saying that the C's are going to win more games than the Wolves. But somehow I still want to say the Wolves have the better five-man lineup. Does that make any sense to anybody? I don't know. I'm just It's my first time ever seeing this article. I don't know. Um Yeah, everybody's made the point after the last, you know, month of the Jaylen Brown trade that Paul George is a fit next to a Tatum and a White and Pritchard and makes a ton of sense. And they got a true center that can add some extra possessions in Mitchell Robinson if he can just stay healthy for an entire season. So, it's a very good five-man unit. Do not get me wrong. But I think I Again, I think that the the the Celtics might win more regular season games. But for whatever reason I look at this five-man unit in Minnesota and say, "That's a better five-man unit." Like obviously you got the system that you don't need to question even with the acquisition of Mitchell Robinson and Paul George. Those guys going to fit like a glove in Joe Mazzulla's system. And maybe you can argue, you know, it might take some time for LaMelo Ball to get acclimated to being in Minnesota and playing with the these new teammates, whatever. And I don't I don't know if you can have you need acclimation period for Paul George. He's going to slot right in though. Mitchell Robinson is going to add extra possessions. But I I think I like that five-man unit more. I don't know. Maybe I'm tripping. Maybe I'm tripping. All right, next we got the 10th team, which is the Toronto Raptors, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. I'm hoping for their sake Jakob Poeltl has a nice little bounce back. Last year was a tougher season for him. The year before that he was really good. Um but him his screen setting's going to be important on this team. Scottie Barnes, now doesn't have to worry about being a true one-way offensive player where he can still do all the other stuff defensively and still be, I don't know, one of the best glue guys offensively that can also still give you X amount of points. It's a really It's a really good unit. It's a really good unit. I'm not mad at them being number 10. Then we got the Houston Rockets. Fred is back. Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Bari, and Alperen Sengun. Yeah, that's a good unit. It's a good unit, man. Um again, Fred coming off that major injury. Shout out to my boy Fred, Fred. Uh I don't know. I'm still looking at number 12 on this list of Minnesota and being like, ah, I think I think I like that Minnesota unit maybe more than this one. Maybe Fred VanVleet being in the starting lineup changes everything after last season being I would say mostly disappointed. Especially when you get to the postseason, don't get me wrong. Uh Kevin Durant missed all that time in the postseason and then they lost to LeBron and others. Um okay, number eight. Atlanta Hawks. Wow, I really like the Atlanta Hawks unit. CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu. It still feels high to have them as the eighth best starting unit in the league. I can't be the only one to think that, right? Good team, really good team. I love their off season, actually. Between Kingston Fleming's being drafted there, shout out to my guy. Between getting in on Lou Dort for the price of a former first overall pick. From getting Aaron Wiggins. Like they've had a really good off season as a whole. They even resigned CJ McCollum on a one-year deal. Um I don't think this five-man unit is better than some of the ones right beneath it. It's a good unit. It's a really good unit. And hell, this unit was one of what? 15, 16 straight games last season, right? What was that What did that number end up being? It's a really good unit. I don't know if it's the sixth or eighth best starting unit in the league next season, though. Cavs at number seven. Okay, James Harden, yeah, we can pencil him in. I just I just feel like he's going to be back. Um Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen. It's a really good unit. You know it to be that that way, Um especially with a full off season now after James Harden. It should be better than the a unit than it was last season. I'm not mad at them being at number seven. Number six, this is low for a team that was just in the finals. I'm actually surprised they got Toby in the starting unit. I guess that's a coach decision. De'Aaron Fox, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, of course Wembanyama, and they got Chetty there. I think this is better than the sixth best starting unit in the league. They got Wembanyama. Full style like that that guy's a cheat he's a He's literally a cheat code. He's an on off cheat code. And when he's on with his unit, that unit is disgusting. Who's right above them? Denver? Is it safe to say that again just looking at the units, the five man units, that this Spurs unit is now better than what this Nuggets unit can put I don't know. Cuz when Aaron Gordon did play, this team was [ __ ] amazing still. But he just didn't play. He just didn't play and it's like year four and three in a row where he just didn't play when it mattered. I don't know. Yeah, this is dangerously low for a team coming off an NBA finals appearance. Dangerously low, right? Hopefully we get to see these two teams go against each other in the postseason and we'll really get a feel for it. Number four, Indiana Pacers. Wow. I like that Pacers fans have this chip on their shoulder after you know being forgotten about if you will. I saw a tweet earlier that was like the betting odds. Not not that you not that you should care about the betting odds necessarily, but they were like, you know, like seventh I think in winning the Eastern Conference which is dangerously low for a team that did win the Eastern Conference this two years ago. I think the Spurs starting unit is better than the starting unit. I think the Spurs starting unit is better than the Indiana Pacers starting unit. Love the Pacers team, though. Zou, hopefully goes back to all NBA third team kind of guy. Pascal is as consistent as could be. Y'all know Haliburton is a absolute dog. Beast mode. Like it's a it's a really good unit. Do not get me wrong. But I think the the Spurs coming off that championship appearance and what Stephane Castle is able to do, even De'Aaron Fox who was terrible in the postseason it feels like. I still think I like that unit more than I like the Indiana Pacers one. Then we got the New York Knicks at three. Who's that leave? Who's left? OKC and and Philly. Okay. I'm like, who who could be OKC in what order? Now, we know that Philly's number one. They were the They were the thumbnail video. Um Bronson Ew, it's the first time I've seen Josh Hart listed at like a two. I guess it doesn't matter. Um that just looks ill. It's a championship team, dammit. Um show some respect. And then Yeah, OKC starting unit is still nuts though. Yeah, I do have the OKC starting unit over New York Knicks starting unit. And then lastly, they do have the 76er one, which is like we don't know, but like just based on the paper, based on the talent, yeah, you can it is the best starting unit, even if it may not mesh perfectly. But like again, based on what we see, which is all NBA, all NBA, all NBA, all NBA, >> [laughter] >> and then uh rookie of the year third place, I think he was, and VJ, yes, it's the it's the best starting unit as of today. Um Was that pure rage, man? Y'all let me know, man. I'm some teams dangerously low, I would say. Um but it's the off season, man. You got to think about it from the perspective of the publication. Nobody clicking on NBA articles. You got you you got to you got to clickbait just a little bit, right? Is it a good practice? Probably not. >> [laughter] >> But that's what they doing.