Every NBA Team’s Most Synergistic Lineup (2025–26)
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If this is your first exposure to our content, we break things down from an analytical perspective, trying to bridge the gap between what the data is reflecting and what we see on film.
Before we dive into each team’s most synergistic lineup, I want to take a moment and break down exactly what we will be discussing and why I think it matters. It’s important to understand that I am NOT sharing each team’s best lineup. So, if you come here excited to read about your favorite player and he’s not on it, please don’t panic…yet.
Lineup synergy is all about maximizing each player on the court. In a hyper-exaggerated example, it’s tough to imagine Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, and Joel Embiid all sharing the court together. Maybe their talent could overcome a horrific fit, but I think we can all agree that it would be tough to get the best version of all three players on the court together.
In the modern NBA, there is so much talent that it is no longer as viable to throw ill-fitting talented players together as maybe it once was. Somewhere (OKC) there is a team with just as much talent whose players amplify and support each other’s skillsets.
Today I’m going to look at each team and try to determine which lineup of theirs does the best job of maximizing its best players in their ideal roles. Without further ado, let’s dive…
Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey / VJ Edgecombe / Quentin Grimes / Paul George / Joel Embiid
This stands as one of the highest synergy lineups in the entire NBA…in theory. A lot of factors need to break Philadelphia’s way to see it pan out in actuality.
Just last season, the trio of Maxey, George, and Embiid *lost* its minutes together in just under 300 minutes. There were, of course, extenuating circumstances–new team building chemistry combined with Embiid & George never really being healthy–but it’s a data point that should be accounted for.
Still, this lineup allows all three of its best players to play their ideal role. Neither George nor Embiid are able to carry offenses at this point in their careers, which opens up room for Maxey to take on more primacy. Both George and Embiid still have off-ball gravity relative to their positions and are good enough as screeners and passers to consistently interact with Maxey or each other. It’s easy to imagine all three being as good as they possibly can presently be playing next to one another.
Grimes is a key. At the end of last season, he showed massive improvement creating offense for himself. His first step is amongst the best in the entire league. But the beautiful thing about Grimes is that even as a fourth option, he brings tremendous value. He’s such a good shooter that his defender can’t leave him alone and defensively he can take the opposing team’s primary assignment.
Apologies to: Kelly Oubre
Oubre will get the bulk of the minutes with the starters. Nick Nurse seems to really like his defense at the point of attack. He’s a streaky offensive player. Sometimes he can blow you away, other times he’ll drive you mad.
But his shooting is pretty much a known commodity at this point. And when he’s on the court, he allows opposing defenses to pre-rotate, making it more difficult for his teammates to get open shots or get to the basket. VJ Edgecombe is far from a proven shooter himself, but I’ll take the upside here over something we already know to be true.
Boston Celtics
Payton Pritchard / Anfernee Simons / Derrick White / Jaylen Brown / Chris Boucher
We know what Joe Mazzulla wants to do as much as possible; get into the paint and spray the ball around to create a flurry of rim attempts and 3-pointers. This is going to be more difficult without Jayson Tatum.
But Jaylen Brown is actually shifting into a more ideal role for him. Brown hasn’t shot above 35.8% from 3 since 2021, and adjusting his role so that he has the ball in his hands more will likely benefit him. Simons, White and Pritchard are all fantastic shooters who are capable of attacking close-outs and capitalize on the space.
Watch out for Simons this season. He’s been between the 80th and 93rd percentile in Dunksandthrees’ oEPM each of the last five seasons. Now he’s going to play for arguably the best coach in the NBA and operate in the most space of his career.
Apologies to: Neemias Queta
Queta projects to be Boston’s opening-night starter. But Boucher’s spacing at center will have a compounding effect on his teammates that, for me, overrides Queta’s superior defense.
Brooklyn Nets
Egor Dёmin / Cam Thomas / Ziaire Williams / Michael Porter Jr. / Day’ron Sharpe
Dёmin was a controversial pick in the 2025 draft. The 6’9 guard showcased tremendous passing ability but was an extremely underwhelming shooter (27% from 3, 69% from the FT line) at BYU.
Nevertheless, Brooklyn liked what they saw in him. Now it’s time to give him the best chance of nailing the upside that clearly they believe he has.
Ideally you’d pair him with a good-screening Center who can free him up and help create advantages inside the arc with defenses likely to start the season not respecting his shot. I like Sharpe more than Claxton, specifically for the role the Nets will need at center next to Dёmin.
For the other three spots you want as much shooting as you can possibly have. It seems controversial to say this (it shouldn’t be), but Cam Thomas is a good offensive player. He actually is fairly ideal next to Dёmin (assuming Dёmin can somewhat hold his own defensively) as there will unquestionably be times when Denim is overmatched and Thomas can take control of the wheel.
Michael Porter Jr will definitely increase his primacy as well after spending years playing off of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. At the same time, we know what he is capable of as a pure spacer. He is a nice wing for this young Brooklyn team to have that will make his teammates better offensively even when he’s not touching the ball.
Apologies to: Nic Claxton
Claxton will start. I think Sharpe is more additive to a lineup than Claxton is. Claxton had a woeful 2024-2025, he’s still young enough to right the ship.
Toronto Raptors
Immanuel Quickley / Gradey Dick / Brandon Ingram / Scottie Barnes / Jakob Poeltl
Quickley and Barnes are the two most malleable players of the Raptors’ main core. In the right role, Quickley is an elite defender. What he lacks at the point of attack he makes up for in droves as an off-ball roamer, navigating screens, affecting shots in the paint (relative to his size/position), and defending in transition. He’s sought a larger offensive role for years but his shooting, off-ball movement and screening make him more than capable of taking on a supporting role.
Brandon Ingram is less malleable, but he is very good at what he is good at. Toronto should want the ball in his hands as much as possible. Both Barnes and Quickley can interact with him as screeners.
Poeltl will be the backbone of this lineup serving both as the primary rim protector and a vacuum of rebounds.
Apologies to: RJ Barrett
This is a tough one. Barrett is the Raptors’ best rim attacker. But in order for him to attack the rim, he is taking the ball out of the hands of better players. And the ~70% (his USG was 28.2% last season) that Barrett is off the ball, defenses will live with him shooting off the catch which hurts his teammates’ ability to create offense. Gradey Dick on the other hand provides the off-ball gravity a lineup with Ingram, Barnes and Quickley needs to maximize synergy.
RJ is a good offensive player. And–still only 25 years old–there’s time to improve as a shooter so that he can play off of other initiators of offense. The clock is ticking though.
New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson / Deuce McBride / Mikal Bridges / OG Anunoby / Karl-Anthony Towns
This lineup was available to them all of last season and played just 40 minutes together. FORTY. Towns had his worst oEPM as a Center since he was a rookie. The Knicks traded two key pieces for Towns and got the impact of Towns at power forward next to Rudy Gobert…only without Gobert.
The Knicks once again open the season with these five players on the roster and it would be shocking if we don’t see this lineup more. The way to maximize Towns is by leveraging his greatest skill; his shooting. Brunson’s life becomes a lot easier when Towns can screen for him. Defenses very quickly took that option away when they played with non-shooters.
Brunson and Towns are limited defenders. With Bridges (a poor screen navigator) at the point of attack, the Knicks essentially invited opposing ball-handlers to attack the rim. McBride, who happens to also be an elite shooter off the catch, would likely make getting to the rim more difficult for opposing ball-handlers.
Apologies to: Josh Hart
Hart may very well be the Knicks’ fifth best player. He’s an important piece to this Knicks team. But his limitations as a player are detrimental to that specific lineup’s ability to hit its ceiling.
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham / Duncan Robinson / Ausar Thompson / Tobias Harris / Jalen Duren
Cunningham is one of the league’s best offensive players and is still improving. He also is one of the most ball-dominant. What you need around Cunningham are the correct supporting skillsets.
Given his lack of shooting, Thompson may be a confusing choice, but his defense is SO good I think it more than mitigates his weaknesses. Robinson and Harris are fine spacers and Harris serves as an acceptable tertiary option when Cunningham’s probes break down.
After losing both Tim Hardaway Jr and Malik Beasley, Robinson’s shooting is a necessity for this team. The good news about Robinson is not only is he an elite shooter but he never stops moving. His type of movement draws the attention of the entire defense in a way more stagnant shooters don’t.
Apologies to: Ron Holland
Holland has shown impressive flashes and is already a good defender. Don’t be surprised if we look back on this and laugh at his exclusion.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Garland / Donovan Mitchell / Lonzo Ball / De’Andre Hunter / Evan Mobley
This lineup speaks for itself. It’s not perfect (it will get attacked on the defensive glass), but it will be absolutely lethal and force opposing defenses to make seemingly impossible decisions while holding its own on the other side of the court. This group is easily a candidate for highest synergy in the NBA.
Apologies to: Jarrett Allen
Kenny Atkinson has done a remarkable job of staggering Allen and Mobley to such an extreme degree that both players conferred maximum value. But it’s clear that both play better separately than they do together.
Indiana Pacers
Andrew Nembhard / Bennedict Mathurin / Aaron Nesmith / Pascal Siakam / Obi Toppin
Losing BOTH Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner would torpedo most teams. The Pacers have no business being able to immediately bounce back and put together a lineup this talented, with this much two-way synergy.
This lineup features four good, switchable defenders and an offensive filled with shooting, quick processing, and movement. Mathurin finally gets his chance to take on a bigger offensive role and Siakam can lean into what made him great his last few seasons in Toronto a bit more.
Last season these five played just five minutes together. Expect to see them more this season.
Apologies to: Nobody
These are their five best players. They should start together.
Chicago Bulls
Josh Giddey / Coby White / Matas Buzelis / Jalen Smith / Nikola Vucevic
What fun! This lineup has the unique characteristic of being “big” across the board (except White) but doesn’t sacrifice size and can also play fast like Billy Donovan wants. Smith and Vucevic played just 13 minutes together last season. I’d like to see Donovan lean into it more.
Buzelis is a star in the making. Giddey, still just 23 years old, is a good initiator of offense coming off a season that saw him shoot a career best 37.8% from 3. White profiles similarly (though I trust his shooting more). Next to these two Buzelis should find a solid mix of primacy and supporting possessions.
Apologies to: Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams
Both are young players who have shown flashes. I like their potential synergy with the Bulls’ best players. Just not as much as the above five.
Milwaukee Bucks
Ryan Rollins / Gary Trent Jr. / AJ Green / Giannis Antetokounmpo / Myles Turner
I have general concerns about this team’s depth as well as how Doc Rivers will deploy the players available to him. But this may just be the highest synergy lineup Antetokounmpo has played in since the Bucks were legitimate title contenders. Surrounding him with four shooters without a true primary initiator will put the ball in Giannis’ hands as much as it has been in recent memory.
Last season, the Bucks outscored opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions when Antetokounmpo and Rollins shared the court together. Even more encouraging? Milwaukee scored a preposterous 127.9 points per 100 possessions in those minutes. Rollins should play a lot this season after the departure of Damian Lillard.
Apologies to: Kyle Kuzma
Kuzma probably sees himself as a starter. Rivers might see him that way too. But Kuzma simply needs to get back to the player he was before he went to Washington. Aaron Gordon went to Denver and emphasized additive skills that have made him invaluable to the Nuggets.
Since leaving LA, Kuzma has done the exact opposite. Somewhere inside of him is the player that helped the Lakers win a championship as a positive role player. If he’s going to succeed in Milwaukee, he needs to find that player.
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young / Nickeil Alexander-Walker / Zaccharie Risacher / Jalen Johnson / Kristaps Porzingis
Watching Young play with a true stretch-5 should be a sight to behold. Young has been elite with rim-running Centers and is probably the best in the league at leveraging his floater to create lobs and vice versa.
This lineup surrounds Young with requisite defense to cover for his biggest weakness, while also providing him with more space than he’s ever played in in his entire career. It also allows Johnson to have more interactivity with Young without a defender camping in the paint ready to thwart their pick & roll.
Apologies to: Dyson Daniels
Daniels is arguably the league’s best perimeter defender. But his presence makes Trae Young and co’s life too difficult on the offensive end. If the Hawks didn’t have Johnson, Alexander-Walker and Risacher (three quality defenders themselves), I’d argue in favor of the defensive trade-off as I did for Ausar Thompson. In this case, however, I think surrounding Young with maximum spacing on offense is the most important thing to emphasize.
Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball / Kon Knueppel / Brandon Miller / Miles Bridges / Ryan Kalkbrenner
This is a sneaky candidate for most fun lineup in the league. Miller is primed to take a leap. Playing more with Ball will allow him to operate in more advantageous positions. Bridges apparently doesn’t miss anymore (over 50% from 3 in preseason?).
If you don’t know the name Ryan Kalkbrenner…you’re about to. Kalkbrenner is effective on both ends of the court. He may not start opening night, but I think it will become apparent very quickly that he is the Center of the future in Charlotte.
Apologies to: Collin Sexton
Sexton is a really good offensive player. But when Ball is your primary option I think Knueppel’s spacing fits better than Sexton’s tertiary offense. Sexton CAN play off of LaMelo, but he will thrive in the non-Ball minutes.
Miami Heat
Tyler Herro / Norman Powell / Andrew Wiggins / Nikola Jovic / Bam Adebayo
This five, coached by Erik Spoelstra, SHOULD perform quite well. Powell was excellent as a Clipper last season. This team can move the ball, shoot, and defend. All five guys can approach their peak value without stepping on anyone else’s toes.
The question I have is how high can this lineup soar? Last season the non-Powell foursome was only able to play 17 minutes together. Zoom out and the trios of Adebayo/Herro/Jovic and Adebayo/Herro/Wiggins were not very good across slightly larger sample sizes.
Apologies to: Kel’el Ware
It was difficult excluding Ware. The Heat are probably not good enough to deprioritize his development. It’s possible they should trade one of him or Adebayo. If they can’t play together then their value could only continue to diminish playing on the same team.
Orlando Magic
Jalen Suggs / Desmond Bane / Franz Wagner / Paolo Banchero / Wendell Carter Jr.
The defense gives this lineup a high floor. There are a few inflection points that will dictate how high of a ceiling this lineup (and team) has:
Can they find enough 3-point shooting?
Will better spacing improve Banchero’s general process?
Will they play faster with Bane?
Banchero has an all-NBA ceiling. Wagner has already performed like an All-Star/fringe All-NBA player without a 3-point shot. Suggs and Bane are ideal complimentary guards who can defend, shoot, and offer some level of tertiary creation off of Banchero and Wagner. Carter Jr is an elite defender. It would be extremely helpful to this team’s upside if he remembered how to shoot.
Apologies to: Nobody
Similar to Indiana, these are their five best players. I would start and end games with this lineup in most situations and play it a lot of minutes in between to help expedite the rate at which it builds chemistry. This is the best team the Magic have had since Dwight Howard left.
Washington Wizards
CJ McCollum / Corey Kispert / Bilal Coulibaly / Kyshawn George / Alex Sarr
Washington needs to prioritize the development of Coulibaly, Sarr, George, and recent lottery pick Tre Johnson. Little else matters for them. McCollum, Kispert and Khris Middleton are nice veterans to have next to these young guys because, in theory, they offer a good balance of active impact without being detrimental when they’re off the ball.
Sarr is the one they absolutely need to get right. And they need to figure out if he’s a Center or if the shooting chops are there to mix it up at Power Forward some of the time.
Apologies to: Khris Middleton and Tre Johnson
Middleton is too good not to start on a team this bad. He likely will. But with McCollum already in the lineup throwing Middleton into the mix would remove too many opportunities and reps from young guys who desperately need them. Kispert’s shooting and gravity offers more supporting value for this team.
Johnson is a lottery pick on one of the worst team’s in the NBA. He should see as many minutes as he can possibly play. He may very well prove himself to be a staple of the Wizards’ best lineups as early as this season.
Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray / Christian Braun / Cam Johnson / Aaron Gordon / Nikola Jokic
This one was very easy. Last season the foursome of Jokic, Gordon, Murray and Braun outscored opponents by over 15 points per 100 possessions. And Cam Johnson profiles as an even better fit on this team than his predecessor was.
Apologies to: Their opponents
This is a well-oiled machine that should be absolutely dominant. There are very few weaknesses on either end of the court.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilegeous-Alexander / Alex Caruso / Luguentz Dort / Jalen Williams / Chet Holmgren
The current NBA standard. This is a lineup with no weaknesses. There’s an argument that the trio SGA, JDub and Chet are the most synergistic “Big 3” in NBA history. All three are perfectly maximized sharing the court together. Better yet, both Chet and JDub have shown the capacity for improvement without infringing on SGA’s MVP-level impact.
Apologies to: Isaiah Hartenstein
This team is so good that they have an NBA Championship-level lineup with perfect synergy and I still feel like I’m excluding someone. Hartenstein and Chet offer upside that their smaller lineup doesn’t have. OKC outscored opponents by 10.7 points per 100 possessions when the two played together last season. They were dominant.
I prefer the shooting and switchability Caruso offers over the size Hartenstein brings. It’s not a bad choice to have at your disposal though.
Portland Trail Blazers
Jrue Holiday / Shaedon Sharpe / Toumani Camara / Deni Avdija / Donovan Clingan
Props to Chauncey Billups who announced before the team’s first game that this would be the starting lineup. Even at 35, Holiday remains an ideal supporting piece. He won’t require the ball enough to take it out of Sharpe or Avdija’s hands and brings requisite shooting and defense to accrue impact in a non-redundant way.
Clingan is already one of the NBA’s best screeners and rebounders. He is a good defender who should only continue to get better. If the Blazers want him to have even more interactive value, they should try finding him on the short roll more than they did last season (never).
Apologies to: Jerami Grant
Grant is overpaid, but remains a good player. The team is better off, short and long term, with him coming off the bench. Kudos to him if he takes that in stride.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Donte DiVincenzo / Anthony Edwards / Jaden McDaniels / Naz Reid / Rudy Gobert
The Timberwolves return mostly the same core so we have some relevant data. Replacing Gobert with Julius Randle gives them a true five-out offense but destroys the defense (14 points per 100 possessions worse last season).
Edwards has proven he can carry the bulk of the offensive reps and Gobert is an elite screener. Defensively this lineup has very few weaknesses.
Apologies to: Julius Randle
Randle was great last season and in the playoffs. Similar to his time in New York with Brunson, his talent has overpowered theoretically sub-optimal fits. The Timberwolves should be in the mix again next season.
Utah Jazz
Walter Clayton Jr. / Keyonte George / Brice Sensabaugh / Lauri Markkanen / Walker Kessler
Are the Jazz going to be…competent this season? Watchable??
They have a ton of fun young players and Will Hardy can coach. Sensabaugh and Markkanen give them lights out shooters on the wings. Kessler appears to be trying to expand his shooting range as well.
I think Clayton Jr. is going to catch a lot of people by surprise. He is ready to help the Jazz right now. We know what he can do as a shooter, but he’s a high IQ passer who also has showcased an acumen for cutting off big men.
Apologies to: Ace Bailey
I’m excited to watch the rookie. His ceiling is higher than Clayton and he’s 3.5 years younger. But I think both Clayton Jr. and Sensabaugh are more capable of filling the roles that a lineup with George, Markannen and Kessler demands than Bailey (for now).
Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves / Luka Dončić / Rui Hachimura / LeBron James / Deandre Ayton
As we saw against the Warriors, there’s a lot of pressure on Ayton to embrace the role the Lakers desperately need; a defensive backbone and rim-running partner with Dončić.
Luka was superhuman, but he can’t do it by himself. He needs all four of his teammates (especially Austin Reaves) to be more effective in their roles.
In the short term, I think we’re going to find out just how impactful LeBron somehow still is.
Apologies to: Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart
Both have strong arguments as a 5th starter even after LeBron returns. Without either of them on the court, the Lakers don’t really have an answer for quick opposing guards.
Sacramento Kings
Dennis Schroder / Keon Ellis / Zach LaVine / Keegan Murray / Domantas Sabonis
Vibes are bad in Sacramento, but this lineup would be devastating if given a chance. LaVine and Sabonis are still very good basketball players, and this lineup would be surrounding them with three players who provide additive value on both sides of the ball.
Side note: the Kings likely will have to look to trade Demar DeRozan. He’s a very good offensive player. But he doesn’t move the needle enough to justify what his presence does to his teammates. He simultaneously takes on-ball reps away from his younger teammates AND hurts their chances at success when they do have the ball due to his negative off-ball gravity. It’s not fair to him or his team to keep him in Sacramento.
Apologies to: Nique Clifford
Nique showed a ton in the preseason. Both Schroder and DeRozan raved about him in the past few days. He should be a big part of the team’s plans and has already proven to be a synergistic lineup piece. I’m just not sure he is going to be ahead of Murray, Ellis, or Schroder the day he steps foot in the league. I hope he proves me wrong!
Phoenix Suns
Grayson Allen / Devin Booker / Dillon Brooks / Ryan Dunn / Mark Williams
Call me nuts, but I’m excited to watch the Suns this season. Jordan Ott has a chance to infuse a ton of principles that the Suns were simply lacking these past few years. Surrounding Booker with as much movement, shooting and defense as possible is a good chance for him to hit his impact ceiling and return to the All-NBA level player he’s been in the past.
Don’t be surprised if very soon Khaman Maluach enters the discussion at Center. Williams was a good player in Charlotte, but I like Maluach’s upside and the way he potentially profiles to impact the game. As a rookie you could really have him hone in on rebounding, screening, finishing and defense which would allow him to be perfectly additive to his four teammates. It also is likely better for the Suns long-term to give him a ton of reps early and let him play through mistakes.
Apologies to: Jalen Green
I still have some stock here. Despite the flak he takes for his efficiency, Green has been at the top of the third quartile in offensive impact for the past three seasons. Can Ott improve his shotmapping? Can his FT shooting translate to superior 3-point shooting? I’m not sure, but I don’t think the Suns are wrong for gambling on his upside given they were losing Durant regardless.
I just like Allen’s shooting off of Booker better from a synergy perspective.
Los Angeles Clippers
James Harden / Derrick Jones Jr. / Kawhi Leonard / Nicolas Batum / Ivica Zubac
It was tempting to lean into Brook Lopez’ shooting to maximize their space. But the totality of Zubac’s impact is too great to leave off. Once you commit to him next to Harden and Leonard, choosing the other two players comes down to who offers the best and most complimentary skills.
Apologies to: Everyone?
This team has so many options it’s intimidating. I didn’t just exclude Lopez: there’s Chris Paul, John Collins, Bradley Beal, and Kris Dunn too. All offer supporting skills that should help the Clippers this season.
Golden State Warriors
Steph Curry / Moses Moody / Jimmy Butler / Draymond Green / Al Horford
Steve Kerr has made it clear that he doesn’t want to start Horford to best manage his minutes. That shouldn’t prevent this lineup from seeing plenty of time together. So long as Curry, Butler and Green are healthy and near their best selves, this could be one of the league’s best lineups.
Apologies to: Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski
Podziemski vs. Moody was an interesting decision. I think both are very good fits in a lineup with the Warriors’ big 3. For me it came down to preferring Moody as a more pure spacer as well as the size advantage he has on Podziemski (he’s only one inch taller but his wingspan is *seven* inches wider).
Kuminga is another candidate to make this look very stupid in a couple of months. He was fantastic in the Warriors’ opening two games against the Lakers and Nuggets. It wasn’t just his 3-point shooting (obviously Kuminga’s trajectory changes tremendously if he becomes a 3-point threat), but Kuminga embraced role-player skills in a way he hasn’t before.
San Antonio Spurs
De’Aaron Fox / Julian Champagnie / Harrison Barnes / Victor Wembanyama / Luke Kornet
The beautiful thing about Wembanyama being your best player is you can play multiple styles. If the Spurs want to play smaller and faster, they can simply swap any of their young guards/wings in for Kornet and be just as synergistic.
Wembanyama is such a head start it’s almost not fair. He covers for so many potential deficiencies on both ends of the court. I expect him and Kornet to be an absolutely lethal combination.
Apologies to: The kids
Put the knives down, Spurs fans. This isn’t Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson or Jeremy Sochan erasure. But when your two best players are Wembanyama and Fox you have to consider who would play off of them the best.
I wouldn’t be surprised if either Castle or Harper emerge as someone who needs to be in as many lineups as possible as early as this season. The feel and passing Harper displayed in preseason was special. Castle appears to have taken a leap himself. His synergistic value may be more dependent on shooting consistency though.
Regardless, it continues to be a blessed existence as a Spurs fan.
Dallas Mavericks
Cooper Flagg / Klay Thompson / Naji Marshall / P.J. Washington / Anthony Davis
I’m not so sure about “Point Flagg” (imagine this lineup with Kyrie Irving in for Marshall??), but I think he’ll be ready to create offense immediately. This lineup is big, has shooting and defense, and can lean on all of Anthony Davis’ strengths. I’d expect him to be in All-NBA conversations if he played in lineups like these the majority of the time.
Apologies to: Dereck Lively
Lively is awesome. I just don’t think Anthony Davis’ impact can be maximized at Power Forward. If I have a top 15 player on my team, my goal is to get the absolute best from him. With that in mind, he needs to play Center as much as possible.
Houston Rockets
Amen Thompson / Tari Eason / Kevin Durant / Jabari Smith Jr. / Alperen Sengun
Houston is another team that can play a ton of different ways. This fits well with their mad scientist coach. If Sengun has actually made a leap as a shooter (I would never draw conclusions off of one game but his opening night performance makes it difficult), this lineup is a true 4+1 with a ton of size and defense.
Amen Thompson would live in the paint. Both Durant and Sengun have proven to be effective in sub-optimal spacing. I could imagine Amen in the dunker’s spot and either Durant or Sengun punishing the helper in a variety of ways.
Jabari Smith Jr. has been impressively malleable. The Rockets have sped up their timeline making it harder to prioritize Smith Jr.’s individual development. He’s been thrown into the deep end and mostly excelled. Playing in a lineup like this would lean into more of his strengths.
Apologies to: Reed Sheppard
Like Smith Jr., Sheppard is a former top 3 pick who has not been given requisite time or reps to develop. Sheppard struggled at the point-of-attack against OKC but I think he could provide things that are scarce across the rest of their rotation. Even if it hurts them early in the season, he should be given opportunities to evolve.
Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / Jaylen Wells / Santi Aldama / Jaren Jackson Jr
We’ve discussed lineup synergy, but what about with the coach? These five together project to play EXACTLY like Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo wants to play. They’ll be fast, move the ball, and shoot the string off the net without sacrificing too much defensively. The biggest area of weakness for this lineup is the defensive glass but, like Cleveland, they do so many other things well it shouldn’t torpedo this lineup’s success.
Apologies to: Ty Jerome
Jerome is a very good basketball player who fits in a lot of lineups. But next to Morant, I think Caldwell-Pope and Wells are basically perfectly complementary while Jerome would require more on-ball reps to confer his peak impact.
New Orleans Pelicans
Jordan Poole / Trey Murphy / Herb Jones / Zion Williamson / Karlo Matkovic
Zion is one of the most interesting stars in recent memory. He effectively offers zero supporting impact. He doesn’t even screen much for ball handlers anymore. If he’s your star you have to assume the ball is going to be in his hands all the time. Matkovic is someone I like in theory more than anything he’s shown on the court. You just NEED a rim protector who can shoot 3’s if you're going to maximize synergy with Zion.
On the wings you need players who can defend and play off of Zion carrying a high usage. Both Murphy and Jones do that tremendously. Poole doesn’t play much defense, but it’s reasonable to see him forming solid interactivity with Zion.
Apologies to: Jeremiah Fears
I loved everything he showed this preseason. He’ll (correctly) be in a ton of Pelican lineups and should be a top priority for Willie Green.
