The beauty of basketball oftentimes comes in its fluidity. It’s like a constantly moving game of 4D chess, or the hardest math equation you can ever think of, the most complex version of trigonometry or calculus, all bottled up into one. The endless amount of actions creates an equal amount of endless reactions that together form an infinite amount of variables in any given play. A multi-verse of options, spawned by the very finite amount of tools at any given NBA team’s disposal. How fluid you are, how adaptable your scheme can be, and how malleable your players are, all give you a set amount of lineups that you can throw out into any given game.
Inputting any given lineup into any given game, in any given scenario, may give you any given result but after a certain point, with a large enough data sample, we, the viewers can look at those lineups and determine which one works and which one doesn’t.
Hence, lineup data. Through the course of an 82-game season, each NBA team will try anywhere between 50-200 different lineups. These aren’t just starting lineups, these are ones that happen in the midst of a game, or as they’re called ‘transitional lineups’ that bridge the gap from one unit to another. There are also closing lineups, that may or may not differ from the starters that can provide you a different look depending on the matchup. There can also be different types of closing, transitional, and starting lineups. The job of Head Coach, for the most part, is to find a way to piece these lineups together in a way that works for the team, given the personnel on the roster.
So without further ado, let’s try and look at some of the most intriguing lineups for every team, heading into the 2023-2024 season.
In the name of fairness, I’ve picked one interesting lineup per team, but obviously, there are many, many more lineups that I can dive into as well.
Atlanta Hawks
Lineup: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu
Lineup Numbers: 49 minutes, 136.8 O-Rating, 79.6 D-Rating, +57.2 Net Rating
Type of Lineup: Transitional
Reasoning:
Small sample-size theatre and all but ultimately, the Hawks can throw out a ton of unique lineups this season. With Jalen Johnson, Saddiq Bey, Onyeka Okongwu, and AJ Griffin evolving their games, the Hawks young guys can inject some much-needed life on both ends of the floor for this team. While this isn’t a starting lineup, it’s a lineup that can close out the 1st half for Atlanta, maybe even start 4th quarters as it provides a good combination of shooting, creation, and defense. Okongwu was the best pairing with Trae amongst 2-man lineups that played over 900 minutes together (+3.4 in 931 minutes) and Onyeka’s ability to both play as a switch-big and as a rim-protecting big allows the Hawks to insulate Trae even more on defense. Johnson and Bey are two lengthy wing defenders, who can switch out onto multiple positions as well and Bogdanovic is big for his position too. Besides, with Bogdanovic and Bey, the Hawks have two 40% 3-point shooters on the floor next to Trae. Besides, Johnson is an adept playmaker who can make plays in 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 situations, and if teams start to load up on the shooters, those high-low actions with him and Okongwu could be dangerous. Ultimately, this provides the Hawks with a fun combination of shooting and defense that I think can be potent in transitional lineups.
Boston Celtics
Lineup: Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Type of Lineup: Closing/Starting
Reasoning:
The additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porinzigs this summer bring about a level of fluidity that the Celtics just haven’t had in a while. They can go extra big by starting both KP and Al Horford, or they can smaller by starting one of their two big men. Ultimately, there’s a difference between putting out one of Porzingis or Horford. Big Al is more of a switch-big who can hold his own on the perimeter against quicker guards. Horford can also play conventional drop on defense too. Meanwhile, with Porzingis, you’re probably not as comfortable with him switching (although he can) but you can throw him in a deep drop, and with his large frame and wingspan, he can deter a number of shots at the basket for you. And when you add the perimeter defense of Holiday and White into the mix, maybe that’s the best way to go. If you have those two guys chasing over Pick-n-Rolls, you can play a more conservative drop defense and live with the consequences. Offensively, both Horford and Porzingis can space the floor for you while KP can add some creation juice as well. And between Tatum, Holiday, and Brown — the Celtics have tons of offensive firepower on the perimeter that can be potent in their drive-n-kick-heavy offense. Above all else, this lineup is versatile and versatile enough to be a championship-contending one. It’ll be fun to watch.
Brooklyn Nets
Lineup: Royce O’Neale, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, Ben Simmons
Lineup Numbers: 4 minutes, 128.6 O-Rating, 142.9 D-Rating, -14.3 Net Rating
Type of Lineup: Transitional
Reasoning:
Throw out all the lineup data on this one. Ben Simmons was a shell of himself, and it was quite literally, not enough time for them to have more than 3 offensive possessions together. As for the Simmons part of that equation, by all indications, he’s supposed to be much healthier this season. He’s looked much better already, in the pre-season, actively engaging defenders on offense, attacking the basket — all the typical Simmons staples on that end. He may never get back to All-Star status but if he can just be healthier, he is a massive tool for the Nets to use this season. He’s a cerebral passer and playmaker and a formidable and versatile defender when healthy. This lineup is trying to mitigate some of his weaknesses. With Bridges, DFS, Cam, and Royce you have ample amounts of shooting and secondary creation that pairs well with Simmons offensively. And by removing Claxton from the situation, you’re allowing Simmons the space to operate freely on that end as well. Defensively, this unit can potentially be special, especially against transitional units, playing a switch-heavy scheme that will make them tough to score against. A lot of this relies on Simmons and how healthy he is, but ultimately, if he is, it could be a fun curve ball to throw out there.
Charlotte Hornets
Lineup: LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Brandon Miller, PJ Washington, Mark Williams
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional
Reasoning:
Let’s get funky. Miles Bridges questions aside, I’m curious to see what lineup the Hornets start with. Do they throw Brandon Miller to the Wolves right out of the gate? The frontcourt of PJ Washington and Mark Williams was a slight positive (+0.5 in 353 minutes) and I think that size as a backline could be enough to insulate LaMelo Ball. Meanwhile, Ball and Hayward provide you with tons of creation juice and guys like Miller and Washington can help spread the floor. Maybe the most interesting aspect of this lineup is the connection between Williams and Ball. How much of a vertical threat can Williams be for LaMelo? How does that potentially open up Ball’s in-between game? And how can Hayward, Miller, and Washington make defenses pay for helping off of them as shooters? It’s an intriguing lineup, but also one that poses tons of questions just because we don’t really know how the pieces fit just yet.
Chicago Bulls
Lineup: Coby White, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic
Lineup Numbers: 81 minutes, 127.7 O-Rating, 116.9 D-Rating, +10.9 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting
Reasoning:
The Bulls trotted out this lineup with more frequency through the second half of last season and to start their pre-season in 2023-2024, they opened with this as the starting lineup. There is something there with this lineup, especially offensively and that’s because of White. The game has slowed down for him a little bit. He’s much more calculated as a creator, and he’s been their most consistent shooter at the guard spot as well. Considering the Bulls’ struggles from behind the arc, injecting some creation and shooting into their starting core four might do them some good to improve the 24th-best offense from last season. You can always lean more defensive-minded by throwing guys like Alex Caruso, Jevon Carter, and Torrey Craig into the mix but ultimately, this starting unit sets you up with a good foundation on offense.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Lineup Numbers: No data
Lineup Type: Starting
Reasoning:
Movement shooting. Next.
All jokes aside, the element that Strus adds to this starting unit is going to be super key for this team, not only in the regular season but when they inevitably reach the post-season. This team was far too reliant. on Mitchell and Garland to create everything for them. When teams started to do that, the onus was on Mobley and Allen to create for themselves, and that… wasn’t the best. Maybe Mobley takes a step in the creation department this season, who knows, but in the meantime, Strus will allow the Cavs to punish opposing defenses loading up on their star-studded backcourt with shooting on the weak side. Between Strus and Georges Niang, the Cavaliers’ additions this summer can keep defenses honest with their movement shooting. Particularly Strus, who can serve as a nice dribble-hand-off hub with Mobley or Allen as well, as another source of offense. This Cavaliers team should be elite on both ends of the floor now, thanks in large part to the additions of Strus and Niang.
Dallas Mavericks
Lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Grant Williams, Maxi Kleber
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
I just want the Mavs to lean into offense this year. The defense is admittedly going to struggle. There are ways for them to mitigate that. I think their wing defenders, Josh Green and newly-added Grant Williams will help in that department. A fully healthy Maxi Kleber should also help in that area. Luka, in the end, for all his faults as a defender, doesn’t have to do much to be net-neutral on that end just because of his size at the guard spot. With this lineup, the Mavericks are leaning into a switch-heavy scheme that provides Luka and Kyrie with ample space because of the shooting from Green, Williams, and Kleber. They can potentially close with this lineup too against smaller teams and not have to deal with the consequences because of their ability to switch. For what it’s worth, this lineup but with Tim Hardaway instead of Grant Williams had an offensive rating of 130. So, yeah, offense. Let it fly.
Denver Nuggets
Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Junior, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Lineup Numbers: 706 minutes, 124.3 O-Rating, 111.2 D-Rating, +13.1 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
Why fix what ain’t broken? The defending champs are heading into this season with less depth and will have to rely on some of their younger players to turn into rotation guys this season but that won’t impact the dominant starting unit in any way whatsoever. This starting unit was the best 5-man lineup in the NBA last year that played 400+ minutes together. There are so many offensive options that come just from the Jokic/Murray 2-man game that I’d have to take up at least 3000 words to describe it. Add in the different wrinkles they use with Gordon, KCP, and MPJ and you have one of, if not the most unstoppable offense in the league. And they more than hold their own on defense. I’m expecting this lineup to dominate even more as Murray and Porter Jr come into their own as well.
Detroit Pistons
Lineup: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jalen Duren
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren only played 28 minutes together last season. With experimentation being the premise of the season for the Pistons, I want to just see these three get used to each other on the court. Duren showed off an innate ability as a roller in his rookie season and I think paired with Ivey and Cunningham, two players who approach the game in two completely contrasting ways, should provide some nice variety for Detroit’s offense under Monty Williams. Add in the pop of rookie Ausar Thompson as a creator and defender on the wings, and the steady 3-point shooting hand of Bogdanovic, and you have a sneaky fun lineup. I doubt that Ausar starts out the gate for Detroit this season, and most likely, that 5th starting spot goes to Isaiah Stewart who has been expanding his game offensively the last couple of seasons. But as the season progresses, I want the Pistons to throw out this lineup more and more. But particularly, I want a lot of minutes with Ivey, Cunningham, and Duren together. Because they need to grow and develop chemistry as much as possible.
Golden State Warriors
Lineup: Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Transitional
Reasoning:
The Warriors were -9 without Steph Curry on the floor. They were -11 with Draymond off the floor. They were -16 with Steph Curry and Draymond Green off the floor. Now, admittedly, there aren’t going to be too many times that both of those guys are on the bench at the same time but the Warriors desperately need to find a way to win minutes without them. That’s why they brought in Chris Paul in the first place so that he can be a steady hand when either Curry or Green is off the floor. Injecting some starters like Thompson, Wiggins, and Looney into the lineup is very much so a Steve Kerr thing to do and I think it’s an easy way to buy time for Curry and Green to rest. Besides, throwing Kuminga in there with Paul is going to help him develop even more as a rim-running big man next to the point gawd. If the Warriors want to have any chance of surviving non-Steph minutes, it’ll be a lineup like this.
Houston Rockets
Lineup: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, Alperen Sengun
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting
Reasoning:
‘How in the world is this all going to work?’ is my main question here. The Rockets are easily one of the most fascinating teams heading into the regular season and what sort of lineups Head Coach Ime Udoka deploys could potentially be the make-or-break factor. These are the presumed starters, although you could talk me into Amen Thompson or Tari Eason making it very difficult for Udoka to decide. Ultimately, the Rockets’ defense should markedly improve this year with guys like VanVleet and Brooks at the point of attack. Offensively, my eyebrows are raised because of how the touches will be distributed between guys who just got big-time contracts and guys who are looking to develop into their own. But VanVleet’s ability to play off of the ball as a catch-n-shoot guy is going to help alleviate some of that, meanwhile, Sengun’s ability to create out of the high post might make things easier on everyone. It’s just intriguing all around and this is without addressing how Thompson or Eason fit into this equation.
Indiana Pacers
Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown, Ben Mathurin, Jarace Walker, Myles Turner
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Transitional
Reasoning:
There are a lot of unanswered questions about the Pacers this season. Does Andrew Nembhard get a crack at a starting spot? Is Obi Toppin the starting forward or does Aaron Nesmith still have that role? Or maybe Jarace Walker comes in and steals it from them both? Ultimately, I’m undecided on whether this lineup will play together all that much but I am still damn intrigued by it. The trio of Haliburton-Mathurin-Brown is a boatload of shooting and creation that should be a headache to deal with in the open floor and the frontcourt of Walker and Turner should be menacing enough to keep them insulated from mistakes. Haliburton and Mathurin both need to grow in many ways on the defensive end, so there’s a real chance this unit doesn’t look all that good on that end. But offensively, they can run, they can gun and they can fly and that makes them tons of fun to watch. Slot in Toppin or Nembhard in any sort of combination and you’re cooking with grease.
LA Clippers
Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Norm Powell, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Ivica Zubac
Lineup Numbers: 4 minutes, 88.9 O-Rating, 90 D-Rating, -1.1 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
Would it have been wrong if I threw out a lineup with James Harden in it? Anyways, ignore the lineup data on this, it’s inconsequential. That being said, if the Clippers don’t trade for Harden, do they opt for a smaller starting lineup like this? Or do they go with Batum as their power forward? Do I dare say Marcus Morris Sr gets some run? Ultimately, I’m sort of curious to see where Ty Lue goes for his 5th starting spot but I like throwing Norman Powell in there as a play finisher, shooter, and secondary creator. This Clippers offense lacked a lot of versatility in their approach, they barely got to the rim and I think a backcourt of Westbrook and Powell can help alleviate some of that. George can handle secondary ball-handler duties, meanwhile, Zubac can serve as a vertical spacer on offense and rim protector on defense. It’s a functional lineup and if Leonard and George are fully healthy, it can be a dynamic one. But it sort of feels like we’re just waiting for the Harden shoe to drop.
LA Lakers
Lineup: Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis
Lineup Numbers: 77 minutes, 123.5 O-Rating, 103 D-Rating, +20.5 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
To add some additional context, this Lakers’ starting unit played an additional 177 minutes together in the post-season and had a slightly positive net rating of +0.4 in those minutes. All in all, though, it’s been a pretty potent lineup for the Lakers who used this unit to propel themselves to the Western Conference Finals as a 7th seed last year. Reaves will be getting more on-ball responsibilities than he did last year in the regular season. Both he and Russell will be asked to space the floor in a major way for their frontcourt and James and Davis, when healthy, can be as dominant as ever. The big question with this lineup is how much Vanderbilt impacts the spacing for James and Davis. The offensive fit is sort of wonky in the frontcourt, but defensively there’s no question that it is formidable. In the end, the Lakers have a bunch of options in that department. They can throw out Rui Hachimura to provide for more of an offensive punch. Or go bigger by starting either Jaxson Hayes or Christian Wood next to Davis. The Lakers are an insanely deep team and their options are endless because of it.
Memphis Grizzlies
Lineup: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Jaren Jackson Jr, Steven Adams
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
It is entirely fair to have questions about this lineup. But they should be questions of intrigue, not of doubt. We already know what the quadruplet of Morant-Bane-Jackson-Adams can do (+10 in over 150 minutes together in the regular season last year) but adding Smart into the mix should make things equally dynamic. He essentially steps into the Dillon Brooks role in this unit as their primary wing defender, but with the wrinkle that he’s a much better playmaker and facilitator than Brooks is/was. The Grizzlies struggled as a half-court offense last year with Brooks in that role, generating 96.2 points per 100 possessions with that starting unit. And while Smart isn’t a better scorer or shooter than Brooks by any means, I think his connectiveness on that end can help piece together actions between Morant, Bane, and Jackson in a way that helps them thrive even more.
Miami Heat
Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo
Lineup Numbers: 302 minutes, 112.1 O-Rating, 108 D-Rating, +3 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
It’s still to be determined whether Kyle Lowry is going to start or not this season, but ultimately, I really love this unit as a closing lineup. The Heat played the second-most amount of clutch games and I’d wager that a good chunk of those games were won with this as the closing unit. It’s still a really, really good defensive group despite Herro’s pitfalls on that end. The Heat are never afraid to throw out a zone to insulate guys like Herro and this unit can do that well. People will bring up Lowry’s age and his inconsistencies at this point in his career, but when push comes to shove, he’s a guy that you want on the floor when the game is on the line. His ability to make the right reads, to push in transition, and to, at times, play sound point-of-attack defense is all still there. And if Caleb Martin’s shooting has genuinely improved, you’re looking at a pretty potent offensive group around Jimmy and Bam as well. I’m not necessarily in love with throwing Josh Richardson in there instead of Lowry for spacing reasons, but you could convince me to put Love in there instead to play a little bigger. Either way, the Heat are still going to be good. And they still have some versatility they can play around with, even with Strus and Vincent gone.
Milwaukee Bucks
Lineup: Damian Lillard, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetkounmpo, Brook Lopez
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
Can you believe that the 4-man group of Lopez, Middleton, Giannis, and Connaughton only played a total of 5 minutes together last season?! Injuries deprived the Bucks of ever getting into any sort of consistent rhythm but this unit would be formidable together. Connaughton is a good 2-way player, who has shown that he can shoot the leather off of the ball. Those 4 players are known quantities, as long as you’re assuming Middleton is healthy and ready to go (which Adrian Griffin wasn’t assuring of recently). But ultimately adding the pull-up shooting, half-court dynamism of Lillard into the mix is going to completely shape-shift this team. This Bucks team notoriously struggled in the half-court with Budenholzer as their Head Coach. Now, with Lillard, he’s a one-man solution to that problem. He’s going to be able to bend defenses to his advantage, create easy looks for Middleton, and Lopez, and paired with Giannis, should make one of the best pick-n-roll partnerships the league has to offer. This is a championship-level offensive group with some legitimate defensive questions, but you feel confident in that backline of Giannis and Lopez cleaning things up.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert
Lineup Numbers: 75 Minutes, 106.4 O-Rating, 100 D-Rating, +6.4 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
Between KAT’s injury and McDaniels breaking his hand, we never really got to see the full potential of this unit together. The numbers suggest they are good but again, it’s a very small sample size and there are still defensive questions with KAT and Gobert as your frontcourt. Particularly because you don’t trust Towns to roam out onto the perimeter to guard faster players and Gobert is very much a conventional drop-big and can do very little defensively outside of that. That being said, McDaniels has shown some serious upside as a weak-side rim protector and he’s already one of the best perimeter defenders the league has to offer, so maybe there’s a way Head Coach Chris Finch can scheme it out to insulate Towns on defense. Edwards and Conley are both also potent as point-of-attack defenders when they buy in, so generally, between their perimeter defense and Gobert, they should be able to be a decent defensive nucleus. Offensively, there are still a bunch of questions about how Gobert fits in next to a guy like Ant who likes to barrel his way to the rim – but ultimately with this unit, you just want to see them together for an extended period of time. Injuries not only robbed Timberwolves fans of a fun season but also robbed us of any legitimate data to use for or against this core moving forward.
New Orleans Pelicans
Lineup: Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Larry Nance Jr
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
If the Basketball Gods could please just bless the New Orleans Pelicans with health for one season… I’m trying to see something. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson played a total of 241 minutes together last season and the Pelicans were +15.3 in those minutes. It’s a large enough sample size to tell you that they are overwhelming positive players when together. Now it’s about filling out the other 3 spots on the floor with guys who complement them. What do those two need around them to thrive? Shooting and defense. With Nance, you’re going smaller but you’re also able to switch more often than you are with Valanciunas and he can still protect the rim a decent amount for you as well. With Jones, you have one of the best perimeter defenders the league has to offer, who has continued to work on his corner 3. And with Murphy, you have a potent mix of both. He can alleviate some pressure off of Williamson and Ingram on the weak side as an elite floor spacer, and he’s improved his off-the-bounce game to the point where he can attack closeouts and make some plays himself. I like this lineup as a sort of curve ball, something they can throw out midway through the 3rd quarter to put a teetering game away, or maybe even something they can throw out in the 4th quarter as a closing lineup. But please, health.
New York Knicks
Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Transitional
Reasoning:
The Knicks are one of the deepest teams in the league heading into this season. That provides them with tons of lineup versatility. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that I just trotted out a lineup with 3 starters that arguably can be just as good, if not better than their actual starting unit that includes RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. This lineup really leans into shooting, which was a pitfall of the Knicks last season, by throwing out all 3 of Brunson, Grimes, and Divincenzo, the 3 best shooters on the team this season (Sorry Evan Fournier). But it’s not just that, this unit can be really good defensively, especially at the point of attack between Donte, Grimes, and Hart and they still have Robinson to clean up any mistakes. Brunson will have ample space to operate in isolation possessions because of the shooting on the lineup, they will still rebounding the heck out of the ball with Hart and Robinson and they won’t bleed points on defense because of the screen-navigating, lock-n-trail trio of Hart, Grimes and DiVincenzo. This unit can be really fun if Head Coach Tom Thibodeau ever throws it out there.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Lineup: Shai Gilegous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
“You complete me” – the rest of the Oklahoma City roster to Chet Holmgren, probably. In all honesty, there might not be a lineup in the NBA I’m more excited to watch this season. The Thunder were undersized last year, and while Jaylin Williams and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had valiant efforts against Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in the play-in game, that was ultimately the reason they lost. They had to play a hyper-aggressive defensive style to mitigate their size disadvantage and now with Holmgren they can dial that back a little bit and be more conservative. That’s going to bring out the best defensively in the rest of the starting group, who are all adept on that end just because they are long and big for their positions (or in the case of Dort, stout). Offensively, the pairing of SGA and Holmgren in the pick-n-roll should cause headaches for opposing defenses, and having guys like JDub and Giddey punish teams that load up on that action should be fun. Chet truly is the final puzzle piece for this unit and I think he’s going to bring out the best in all of them. They’ll go through their bumps but ultimately, they’re going to be very, very good.
Orlando Magic
Lineup: Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr
Lineup Numbers: 58 minutes, 113.7 O -Rating, 102.4 D-Rating, +11.3 Net Rating
Lineup: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
Gary Harris’s starting job is safe… for now. The big question with this lineup and all lineups for the Orlando Magic is going to be spacing. Can they provide Banchero and Wagner enough space to operate and orchestrate? And if they somehow do create an advantage, can their teammates seize it and knock down their shots? Carter Jr has continued to improve his outside shot, and Wagner has as well. But Suggs, Banchero, and Fultz are all sub-par shooters as of now, which makes the spacing wonky. That being said, Suggs and Banchero have both shown glimpses of improving as shooters and if they turn the corner, this unit can be a potent blend of creation, defense, and scoring. Fultz and Suggs would be a very tough point-of-attack defense to score against and would be elite as the connective tissue to piece things together on offense. That being said, until Suggs figures out the shooting, it seems like it’ll be Harris who starts in his place. But I still want to see how this group looks together.
Philadelphia 76ers
Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, PJ Tucker, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
Lineup Numbers: 90 minutes, 122.5 O-Rating, 105.5 D-Rating, +17.1 Net Rating
Lineup: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
Assuming that James Harden is gone to LaLa Land at some point this season, this is going to be the presumed starting group for Philly. In the small amount of time they’ve played together they’ve been potent on both ends and I think ultimately, that should track once the sample size grows too. Melton and Tucker are the backbones of your perimeter defense, Harris is still a big body and you still have Embiid mucking things up as a rim protector in the middle. Maxey isn’t the best defender but that’s known. The bigger question is how this group assimilates on offense for extended periods without Harden. The onus will be on Maxey to be their lead playmaker and facilitator and I’m interested to see how that looks for extended stretches as well. He showed some flashes of being able to do that, but again, seeing it for extended periods might yield different results. It’s a numbers game with this lineup. They’re still going to be good just because *points at MVP* but how good they will be for long periods will depend mostly on Maxey and the leaps he takes (or doesn’t) in the playmaking department.
Phoenix Suns
Lineup: Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Keita Bates-Diop, Jusuf Nurkic
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
It doesn’t take rocket science to tell you that the trio of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant will be good offensively. In fact, good might be an understatement. Teams are going to struggle mulling through different coverages trying to find a solution to stop the three-headed monster. Nurkic is the defacto big man now with Ayton gone and the 5th starting spot is what’s most intriguing. In their pre-season opener, the Suns started Josh Okogie in that spot, who also finished the year with the Suns as the 5th starter. I like Okogie and think he fits their nucleus well but I’m really intrigued to see how Bates-Diop looks with them as well. He shot a career-best 39.4% from 3 on low volume last season so he’s shown an ability to at least knock down some shots and his versatility on the defensive end could really pop alongside these stars. Ultimately, between Okogie, Bates-Diop, Eric Gordon, Yuta Watanabe, and crew, the Suns have tons of options for the 5th starting spot, but I want it to go to Keita.
Portland Trail Blazers
Lineup: Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Robert Williams, Deandre Ayton
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
Let’s get weird. It’s a new era in Portland and with that being said, there is going to be tons of experimentation going on in the North West. Their offensive-minded wing trio of Scoot, Sharpe, and Simons will be at the forefront of it all, and how those three mesh together will ultimately be one of the most interesting parts of this season for Portland. Scoot can set the table for Sharpe and Simons. Simons can set the table for the other two. And Sharpe is slowly but surely developing his off-the-bounce game too. This lineup is also probably going to be more prevalent once the Blazers trade Jerami Grant and make both Ayton and Timelord the official starters. That fit in the frontcourt is questionable, but you’re selling yourself on the idea of Ayton as a mid-range scoring threat who can score from 14-18 feet out and Timelord as a vertical spacing lob threat. That’s the only way I envision those two sharing the court together but that makes it all that more fascinating as Chauncy Billups and crew will have to manage a lot of players who are looking to take their games to the next level.
Sacramento Kings
Lineup: Davion Mitchell, Keegan Murray, Sasha Vezenkov, Trey Lyles, Domantas Sabonis
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Transitional
Adding Sasha into the mix here gives us no lineup data to work with but the 4-man group of Michell, Murray, Lyles, and Sabonis was +2 in 78 minutes of action last season. Ultimately, the Kings didn’t have that much lineup versatility last season with their main starters playing over 900 minutes (#1 in the league among 5-man groups). I’m curious to see if they lean more on their bench this year so that they can try different looks and that starts with a group similar to this. You can still run your split actions and horns sets with Sabonis, but adding a shooter and creator like Sasha to the mix should give them a nice boost off of the bench. Having guys like Mitchell, Murray, and Lyles will make this a decent enough defensive group too. But generally, the idea with this lineup is that I want Sacramento to be a tad bit more inventive with their transitional units this season.
San Antonio Spurs
Lineup: Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
I know that the Spurs want to start Wembanyama alongside another big man and are going to continue to do so by starting Zach Collins alongside their enigmatic rookie but I do want to see them trot some lineups out with Wemby at the 5 and this is the one I’m most interested by. Sochan can do all the ancillary things needed to keep Wemby from battling inside too much, as a good rebounder and utility knife. And offensively, Wemby is going to draw so much attention that guys like Keldon and Vassell are going to feast on open looks. This is going to be a fun group to watch all season. They won’t win a ton of games, and they probably will have to develop chemistry but by Wemby’s pre-season debut, we can already see just how much gravity he’ll have on both ends of the floor. And while Collins is going to be next to Wemby for a good chunk of time, I do want to see how Wemby operates as the solo center in drop coverage at the professional level. Much like Portland, I want San Antonio to be willing to experiment a lot this season with how they position Wemby on both ends of the floor.
Toronto Raptors
Lineup: Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr, O.G. Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl
Lineup Numbers: 63 minutes, 99.2 O-Rating, 106.9 D-Rating, -7.7 Net Rating
Lineup Type: Starting/Transitional/Closing
Reasoning:
The Raptors started Dennis Schroder in their pre-season opener against Sacramento ahead of Gary Trent Jr and while there is a way for that lineup to work – the spacing is undoubtedly wonky. It felt like they were playing in the mud for the first bit of that game, they were unable to get any real, genuine advantages carved out of their sets and things only began to change when Trent came on the floor. With the lack of shooting on this team heading into this season, Trent’s importance is almost unparalleled. His ability to knock down shots at a high volume and create shots for himself is only going to open things up more for Scottie Barnes and crew to operate. Because of that ability, I want to see more dribble-hand-offs that include Trent and Barnes together, as a source of offense for this team. And ultimately, the success of this season for the Raptors and for any starting unit will be how Barnes looks as the lead ballhandler. When this team gets stops and gets out in transition, they are going to be a problem. But in the half-court, there still is a lot left to be desired. Maybe Barnes can change that if he takes that leap in his career. Maybe his passing is so cerebral, so potent that it opens up new opportunities in Head Coach Darko Rajakovic’s system for this team to thrive as a half-court offense. That’s still to be determined, and the Raptors are still very early in the process, but ideally, this is the starting unit moving forward. Besides, Schroder can come off the bench and provide a change of pace as a quick guard that can set up the rest of the bench to thrive.
Utah Jazz
Lineup: Jordan Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Walker Kessler
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
I’m fascinated to see how this John Collins experiment works. It’s going to be tricky to manufacture the spacing required to have all 3 of him, Markkanen, and Kessler on the floor – but it’s possible. Agbaji is a big part of that as a player who can not only defend at a high level, in my opinion but was an elite shooter in college as well. With him, Clarkson, and Markkanen maybe you have enough to space the floor but ultimately, I’m more interested in the defensive potential of this group. Collins can switch, he can guard multiple frontcourt positions, Markkanen and Kessler are both big 7-footers, with Kessler showing off some awesome skills as a rim-protector as a rookie. Agbaji gives them more punch at the point-of-attack and maybe, just maybe, the Jazz won’t be the 23rd-ranked defense this season.
Washington Wizards
Lineup: Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Corey Kispert, Kyle Kuma, Daniel Gafford
Lineup Numbers: No Data
Lineup Type: Starting/Closing
Reasoning:
Much like the Blazers and Spurs, it is a new era in Washington with the Wizards. Gone are the days of Bradley Beal, in are the days of Jordan Poole. While this team might not be very good, their starting nucleus should be super formidable, especially offensively with the dynamism of Poole and Kuzma likely consuming most of the usage on the team. Gafford should be a solid-to-good backline center on defense, who can serve as a lob threat on offense and Tyus Jones should be the perfect cool, calm, collected table-setter for their offensive threats. Kispert is really the glue that could potentially put this all together as a sharpshooter who has a knack for getting downhill and making plays. If he can buy in to being better on the defensive end, this team might not be all that bad on that end. But still, there’s going to be a lot of nights where they will be experimenting and trying things and ultimately, I’m curious to see how all three of Kuzma, Poole and Jones do in higher-usage roles.
