Ranking Every NBA Starting Lineup Right Now

With the trade deadline, All-Star break and much of buyout season in the rearview, a number of teams around the NBA have been shaken up.

That means entirely new starting lineups for several squads, which makes ranking each of the league's first fives a little tricky.

For some groups, like the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets, we have a decent amount of data to base the analysis on. For others, subjectivity has to be the guide.

With these new additions, who will make up this team's most common starting five from here on out? Will so-and-so be back from injury soon? Will this team now focus more on the young players?

All these questions and more have to be answered to rank every team's starting lineup.

Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins

Good luck to anyone trying to catch the San Antonio Spurs in the race to one of the three worst records in the NBA (and thus, a 14-percent shot to the top pick in the draft).

They were already dead last in the league in net rating, and then they traded Jakob Poeltl for draft consideration and Khem Birch, who hasn't appeared in a game since December 29.

That leaves Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins to start for the team going forward (at least, that was the last starting lineup Gregg Popovich used for the last game Jones was healthy).

All five of those players have been pegged as below average by Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted all-in-one metrics in basketball).

Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanović, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren

Good luck trying to figure out the Detroit Pistons starting five for the rest of the season. Killian Hayes was in, out and back in again, all within the last month. He's started a bunch of games alongside Jaden Ivey, who might also be a long-term point guard.

Oh, they're starting two centers in Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, too. And they just acquired former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman.

If Cade Cunningham was healthy, the whole rotation might make more sense. But right now, the only easy call is Bojan Bogdanović starting at one of the forward spots.

In the absence of confidence, we'll simply settle on the lineup that's started more games than any other for Detroit in 2022-23, and that's this one.

With all the positional redundancy and, frankly, a severe lack of talent and experience, this starting five is minus-13.2 points per 100 possessions.

Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jae'Sean Tate, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün

Eric Gordon started in all 47 games he played for the Houston Rockets this season, so we don't have much evidence on the other four without him.

It's still worth noting that Houston is minus-13.2 points per 100 possessions when Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün are on the floor.

And Jae'Sean Tate certainly isn't going to fix that on his own.

You can probably expect the new starting lineup to continue losing its minutes, but that's not because it's without talent.

Theoretically, the trio of Green, Smith and Şengün still shows shades of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokić (just in terms of potential play style), but will take a lot of time and coaching to live up to anything close to that comparison.

LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams

This lineup took center stage after the Mason Plumlee trade, but it's only started three games. And the new center is a rookie.

Mark Williams is averaging 17.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per 75 possessions, but he's not ready to lift this lineup out of the hole it spent the first two-thirds of the season digging.

Charlotte has a disastrous defense and is minus-6.2 points per 100 possessions when LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington are on the floor.

Don't expect many adjustments down the stretch, though. This team is all aboard the Victor Wembanyama train.

Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner

This lineup makes some sense, in theory, especially on the offensive end.

There's plenty of playmaking from Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard. And there are good shooters—Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner—to benefit from that playmaking.

All of that has led to a 74th-percentile offense, a 93rd-percentile effective field-goal percentage and an 84th-percentile turnover percentage.

Unfortunately, the lineup gives up 117.2 points per 100 possessions and is outscored by 0.2.

Turner is one of the game's better rim protectors but is carrying too much responsibility on that end. Estimated plus-minus pegs all of Haliburton, Hield and Nesmith as minus defenders.

Ayo Dosunmu, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vučević

The Chicago Bulls are among the NBA's most disappointing teams this season. The absence of Lonzo Ball has a lot to do with that, but the first five are actually still winning their minutes.

On the year, the Bulls are plus-1.9 points per 100 possessions when Ayo Dosunmu, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vučević are all on the floor.

Generally speaking, though, good teams win those opening minutes by more. And a bad offense that doesn't generate enough free throws or get extra possessions with offensive boards doesn't give the bench enough of a cushion to win games.

Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler

Like plenty of other teams in this exercise, the Utah Jazz' most-used starting five was broken up ahead of the trade deadline, but we still have some evidence with the guard who figures to be Mike Conley's replacement.

On the season, Utah was plus-10.4 points per 100 possessions with Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler. That same group with Collin Sexton is minus-1.6.

Of course, the sample size for both of those groups is basically a game-and-a-half's worth of possessions. That's not enough for sweeping takeaways, but we do know that this lineup has an All-Star starter in Markkanen, a should-be-All-Rookie center in Walker Kessler, an occasional heat-check guard in Clarkson and something of a Swiss Army knife in Kelly Olynyk.

The wildcard is Sexton, who's often prone to lapses in judgment on both ends but is also averaging 16.5 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 37.5 percent from three as a starter this season.

Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkić

Recent injuries to Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkić have prevented the Portland Trail Blazers from rolling this lineup out, but it feels like the natural choice.

Cam Reddish wouldn't take a ton of possessions away from Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant, but his career usage percentage is still almost double that of Matisse Thybulle. That's why Thybulle figures to eventually get the nod over Reddish. Thybulle's defensive prowess should be an upgrade on that end over the last starting 3, Josh Hart.

That's probably not enough to overcome a defense that's currently ranked in the bottom five in the league, but it should help a bit, and Lillard, Simons and Grant provide enough firepower to win some shootouts.

The last spot almost goes to Nurkić by default, despite the energy with which Drew Eubanks has played lately. That different look is intriguing, but there's a lot of built-up chemistry between Nurk and Lillard.

Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., O.G. Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam

The addition of Jakob Poeltl should put the deployment of this starting five in question. In just his second start with the Toronto Raptors this season, he had 30 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.

But Nick Nurse and the organization have a lot of time and energy invested in the largely positionless lineup of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., O.G. Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam.

And though the Toronto Raptors are below .500 on the year, this group has a respectable net rating of plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions.

The playmaking frontcourt of Siakam and Barnes affords extra spot-up opportunities for VanVleet and Trent. And the switchability of a defense spearheaded by Anunoby makes this one of the game's more versatile units.

Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.

The rebuilding (or maybe more accurately, rebuilt) Orlando Magic are ahead of schedule in plenty of ways, and that includes the effectiveness of their starting five.

When Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. are on the floor, Orlando is plus-2.4 points per 100 possessions with an above-average offense and a 57.6 effective field-goal percentage.

With Fultz setting the table and Harris spacing it, there's typically plenty of room in the middle of the floor for Wagner and Banchero to operate, both of whom have shown some potential point-forward chops.

And they're not alone on that front. Wendell Carter Jr.'s solid defense and improving outside shot (he's at a career-best 37.0 percent from deep this season) fill a lot of gaps, but it's his 2.7 assists per game over the last two seasons that are really intriguing.

Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson and Nic Claxton

This is one of those groups that require plenty of prognostication. Before the All-Star break, it had only started three games. And the Brooklyn Nets went 1-2 in those contests (despite this specific lineup being plus-19 in 48 minutes).

But Brooklyn closed out the pre-break portion of its schedule with a win and a 45-point performance from Mikal Bridges. The game offered a glimpse of how this group should work.

There's plenty of overlap between Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith (plus Royce O'Neale and, dare I say, Ben Simmons off the bench) in terms of multipositional defense and three-point shooting. And if Spencer Dinwiddie and, to a lesser extent, Bridges can provide enough slashing to open up the drive-and-kick game, this lineup should at least be competitive on offense.

On the other end, the upside is easier to see. Nic Claxton has become a dynamic rim protector. And he shouldn't have too many mistakes to clean up with the length and versatility of Bridges, DFS and Johnson outside.

Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert

We don't have a solid timeline for Karl-Anthony Towns' return, but we'll assume he comes back at some point.

And while his pairing with Rudy Gobert has been a struggle (it was minus-1.0 points per 100 possessions before KAT went down with an injury), it's still too early to give up on it, especially with new point guard Mike Conley now in the mix.

In theory, Conley's experience, floor generalship and selflessness should unlock more opportunities for Towns and Anthony Edwards than D'Angelo Russell did. And Ant, Gobert and Jaden McDaniels give the group lots of defensive upside, too.

D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt

Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham didn't immediately put all three new acquisitions in the starting five, but D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt did start together for L.A.'s final pre-break game.

And they won that contest, 120-102, over the Zion Williamson-less New Orleans Pelicans.

Of course, one game doesn't give us a ton of evidence to back this up, but it's easy to see how this lineup can have success, at least relative to the ones L.A. was running out pre-deadline.

Surrounding LeBron and AD with shooting always should've been the goal, and D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley can both help there. Vanderbilt has been experimenting with his range from the corners, but if that doesn't take, maybe Mo Bamba will get a shot.

Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort and Jaylin Williams

Few teams in the league can deploy the combination of size and playmaking that the Oklahoma City Thunder can, and they've really leaned into that since inserting rookie Jalen Williams into the starting five.

We already know and talk plenty about 6'6" Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.8 points and 5.7 assists) and 6'8" Josh Giddey (16.3 points and 5.9 assists), but Williams has some similar traits. He's 6'6" and averaging 2.9 dimes in his first year in the league.

Adding stout defense from Luguentz Dort and plenty of hustle from another rookie, Jaylin Williams, makes sense, but these five still have a minus-4.4 net rating, which is probably a reminder of how hard it is for youth to win in the NBA.

Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and Bam Adebayo

A lack of shooting, particularly from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, is partly to blame for this lineup having a 23rd-percentile offense, but it's still plus-4.1 points per 100 possessions thanks to a dominant defense.

Adebayo is one of the game's best defensive anchors, and Butler and Caleb Martin can make life difficult on just about any forward tandem.

On nights when they get enough threes from Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro, they can beat just about anyone.

Monte Morris, Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porziņģis and Daniel Gafford

This isn't the Washington Wizards' most-used starting five—that one has Deni Avdija in Daniel Gafford's spot—but it started the last two games before the All-Star break. And Washington is 6-2 on the season when it begins games with these five.

The lineup makes plenty of sense, with a low-mistake floor general in Monte Morris running the show, two volume scorers in Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma and Daniel Gafford providing size and energy on both ends of the floor.

The real key to the whole thing might be Kristaps Porziņģis, who's playing like a borderline top-25 player.

On the season, Porziņģis is averaging a career-high 22.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.0 threes and 1.5 blocks while shooting 37.0 percent from deep. When he's on the floor with the other four listed above, Washington is plus-23.3 points per 100 possessions.

Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins and Clint Capela

As tempting as it might be to blame the Atlanta Hawks' starting five for the team's overall mediocrity, that's one of the few things that's undeniably working.

As anticipated, Dejounte Murray has helped cover for some of Trae Young's defensive deficiencies. The playmaking split between those two hasn't been quite as tricky as some expected, either. Rim-running center Clint Capela is helping to pull defensive attention toward the rim.

If there is a concern, it might be the average three-point percentage of De'Andre Hunter (35.9 percent) and the way-below-average mark of John Collins (24.8 percent), but that isn't causing much of a problem in the plus-minus column.

The Hawks are plus-12.6 points per 100 possessions when their starters are on the floor.

De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis

It was clear the Sacramento Kings had something with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis right after they acquired the latter last season. The obvious priority over the summer should have been (and was) adding outside shooting.

With those two owning the middle of the floor and being flanked by Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes and rookie Keegan Murray, Sacramento is scoring 119.7 points per 100 possessions (90th percentile leaguewide) and is outscoring opponents by 6.4 points per 100 possessions (87th percentile).

There's some growth potential here, too. Sabonis is only 26 years old. Fox just turned 25 in December. Huerter is 24. Murray is only 22.

There's plenty of runway between now and Murray's prime, but he already looks like one of the league's best floor spacers. Since December 1, he's averaging 12.5 points and 2.8 made threes per game while shooting 45.9 percent from deep.

Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks got off to a slow 10-13 start through their first 23 games, but their season almost immediately turned around when head coach Tom Thibodeau inserted Quentin Grimes into his starting five.

Thanks in part to Grimes' shooting, defense and general ability to fill in the gaps, New York is plus-8.0 points per 100 possessions when Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson share the floor with him. But he's far from the only reason why this lineup is so strong.

Brunson has continued the dynamic play that helped carry the Dallas Mavericks to the conference finals last season, Randle is back to his All-Star form and Robinson's rim protection makes for an excellent anchor.

If there's a concern, it's clearly Barrett, who's posting his fourth way-below-average effective field-goal percentage in four seasons. New York is minus-1.4 points per 100 possessions with Barrett on the floor and plus-9.1 without him.

CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valančiūnas

It's hard to know when (or even if) we'll see this lineup again this season. Zion Williamson has already missed all but one game since New Year's with a hamstring injury, and he aggravated it shortly before the All-Star break, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

It's a shame not just because Zion has superstar potential and his injury history is increasingly worrisome, but because New Orleans looks like a borderline title contender when everyone's available.

The sample size is small, but the Pelicans are plus-10.1 points per 100 possessions with CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Williamson and Jonas Valančiūnas on the floor.

McCollum and Ingram provide plenty of outside shooting, Zion and JV can dominate inside and Jones is one of the game's best perimeter defenders. The balance between all five isn't perfect, but there's more than enough talent to overcome that if they can stay healthy.

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen

It took some time to work out the playmaking balance between Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. The lack of shooting from the other three starters can make things a bit cramped—Isaac Okoro has a below-average three-point percentage, Evan Mobley is 14-of-72 from deep on the season, and Jarrett Allen is 1-of-8—but this lineup is still a monster on offense thanks to its dynamic backcourt.

Given the presence of Mobley and Allen, it might come as a surprise that this group's plus-7.3 net rating has more to do with a 97th percentile offense than it does a 38th percentile defense. That just shows how good Mitchell and Garland are.

On the year, those two are averaging a combined 49.0 points, 12.9 assists and 6.1 threes. Although the numbers don't speak kindly of the defense right now, backing those two up with Mobley and Allen makes plenty of sense in theory.

Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Reggie Bullock and Dwight Powell

The Dallas Mavericks have had 20 different starting lineups this season. They've had four different ones just since Kyrie Irving made his Mavericks debut on Feb. 8.

Trying to figure out exactly how head coach Jason Kidd will juggle his starting lineup might be a fool's errand, but we'll go with the lineup he used in a Feb. 13 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kyrie and Luka Dončić are the no-brainers. Josh Green, who averaged 15.3 points and shot 36.8 percent from deep over his last eight games, probably is as well. While Kidd is inexplicably playing a three-center rotation that includes Dwight Powell, Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, Powell has started every game since January 14.

That leaves one spot for Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock and Christian Wood (who should probably be the starting center).

If Kidd is determined to have Powell at the 5, Bullock probably makes the most sense at the 4. The group is too small with Hardaway and Green (both 6'5") at the forward spots. While Bullock is only 6'6", he's built more like a forward and has more experience as a nominal 4.

With Kyrie and Dončić on the floor, at least two of those other spots should have some shooting, which Green and Bullock can provide. While Wood would only add to that dimension, Powell's rim-running can help too. If he can pull opposing defenses into the paint with good rolls to the basket, those outside looks for Green, Bullock and whichever superstar is off the ball should be a little more open.

Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr. and Ivica Zubac

On Monday, we learned that Russell Westbrook would be joining the Los Angeles Clippers.

Later that day, The Athletic's Law Murray reported that "the expectation is that Westbrook will start for the Clippers at some point."

Even if the insertion of Terance Mann into the starting five opened up more usage for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and seemingly unleashed the Clippers' starting five, it looks like the group to analyze is one that includes Russ.

Bad shooting (he's on pace for his 15th below-average effective field-goal percentage in 15 seasons) is going to be a problem, but perhaps not as big a problem as it was for the Los Angeles Lakers.

If that's the focus—and yes, his career has been filled with "ifs"—this might work. Westbrook can still drive a wedge through a defense, bend it inward and find shooters like PG, Kawhi and Marcus Morris Sr. outside. Ivica Zubac should get some easy drop-off buckets like Steven Adams did from Westbrook back with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And if there are perimeter defenders who can cover for Westbrook's deficiencies on that end, they might be George and Leonard.

Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams

Injuries to Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and now Steven Adams have severely limited the playing time of this starting five, but it has been dominant when available.

When those three are on the floor with Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies are plus-11.9 points per 100 possessions, largely thanks to a 99th percentile defense.

Brooks and Morant are two of this season's worst shooters—they're 505th and 492nd, respectively, among 506 players in "the number of extra points added by field-goal attempts made above league average." That the Grizzlies have even an average offense with both on the floor is probably a credit to the pressure Morant can put on the rim.

But again, this group is elite defensively. JJJ (the Defensive Player of the Year front-runner), Adams, Bane and Brooks deserve a ton of credit for that. Bane and Brooks are better than most wing combos at containing the perimeter, and when opponents do get past that first line of defense, Jackson and Adams are waiting for them.

James Harden, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker and Joel Embiid

He held Father Time off longer than most, but P.J. Tucker is finally starting to look his age. Fortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers don't need the 37-year-old to do much more than hit threes on one end and hound opposing forwards on the other. With a 40.2 three-point percentage and an above-average defensive estimated plus-minus, he's checking both of those boxes.

He's the only player in the Sixers' new-look starting lineup that could be considered anywhere near a weakness.

The two-man game with James Harden and Joel Embiid is virtually unstoppable. Tobias Harris has settled into his role as the third option (as long as Tyrese Maxey is off the floor), and De'Anthony Melton is exactly the kind of three-and-D guard this group needs to tie everything together without taking shots away from Harden and Embiid.

When all five are on the floor, Philadelphia is plus-9.5 points per 100 possessions.

Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Torrey Craig, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton

There's no indication of when we might actually see this lineup. The last update on Kevin Durant's health didn't offer much clarity.

Whenever he's ready to go, though, this will undoubtedly be one of the NBA's best starting lineups.

KD has already proved to be one of the game's most adaptable superstars. It worked from the first minute with the Golden State Warriors. While that had a lot to do with Stephen Curry's selflessness, Durant's shooting and willingness to play off ball were key ingredients.

Those will also be in play with the Phoenix Suns, who should have one of the most dynamic mid-range attacks we've ever seen.

With Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, Phoenix is going to score at will. While likely fifth starter Torrey Craig will have a lot on his plate defensively, a lineup with CP3 and three scorers should win plenty of shootouts.

Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford

It should come as little surprise that the team with the league's best record and net rating has a dominant starting five. In fact, it has a few.

Deciding which one to go with might take a bit of mind-reading. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla would probably be fine with most of the potential options, but we'll go with the defense and versatility of the group above.

Robert Williams III was the fifth starter for much of last year, but this smaller lineup with Derrick White brings even more switchability and playmaking. Over his last 11 games, White is averaging 20.1 points, 6.0 assists and 3.1 threes while shooting 42.5 percent from deep.

When White joins reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, All-Star wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and the seemingly ageless Al Horford in a lineup, the Celtics are better equipped than just about any team to switch all over the floor and attack from any position on the other end.

On the season, this lineup is plus-13.4 points per 100 possessions. It ranks above the 90th percentile on both ends of the floor.

Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez

Khris Middleton hasn't started a game since December 15—he's been back from injury for 10 games since mid-January—but that feels like a temporary thing.

The Milwaukee Bucks rediscovering their championship upside depends on getting their top four players back into the starting lineup together.

Since Jrue Holiday joined the team ahead of the 2020-21 season, Milwaukee is plus-11.5 points per 100 possessions when he, Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez are all on the floor.

Grayson Allen, who's hit 40.7 percent of his threes as a Buck, makes sense as a fifth starter who spaces the floor and doesn't take a ton of possessions away from the stars.

Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić

The Denver Nuggets are dominant whenever Nikola Jokić is on the floor—his plus-14.8 individual net rating dwarfs fellow MVP candidates Joel Embiid's plus-8.9 and Giannis Antetokounmpo's plus-7.7—but that's especially true when he plays with the rest of their fully healthy starting five.

Jamal Murray missed all of the 2021-22 campaign and Michael Porter Jr. missed most of it, but Denver has mostly been whole this season. Surrounding that trio with the three-and-D prowess of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the bully-ball of Aaron Gordon (probably the Nuggets' second-best player in 2022-23) has this lineup performing like a juggernaut.

The Nuggets are plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions when all five are on the floor. Jokić, KCP, Gordon, MPJ and Murray rank first, second, third, fifth and 14th, respectively in total plus-minus. Jokić is 132 points clear of the first non-Nugget (Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum), which is about the same distance as fourth-place Tatum to 12th-place Donovan Mitchell.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney

The Golden State Warriors entered the All-Star break right at .500, but that's largely attributable to extended absences from Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.

When those two, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney are on the floor, Golden State is plus-22.1 points per 100 possessions. Among lineups with at least 300 total possessions, that mark trails only the plus-22.6 posted by Denver's Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić.

What the Warriors group has more of than anyone else is intangible. This lineup is less than a year removed from a championship. Curry, Thompson and Green have four together.

If Golden State can sneak into the play-in tournament and everyone's available from that point on, this starting five is capable of another title run.

Unless noted otherwise, stats courtesy of Basketball Reference, Stathead, Cleaning the Glass and NBA.com.