Lineups are the foundation for every team. A five-man unit that works within the head coach’s schemes is what every team is seeking. A killer lineup trumps individual statistics and is beautiful to watch.
The NBA’s best lineups: The elite five-man units for the 2013-2014 season
Putting together a successful lineup is an art form for NBA coaches. These five groups are their masterpieces.
Christian Petersen
Before the start of this season, we took a look at the top five five-man lineups in the NBA in point differential from last season. We came up with two Miami Heat units, a San Antonio Spurs group, a consistent Indiana Pacers starting lineup and an unlikely Toronto Raptors quintet. Spoiler: Only one of those lineups is in the top-five this season.
Which lineups are at the top of the NBA this season? Time to find out.
The Lineups
The results were much more interesting this time around, as no team has two lineups in the top-five in point differential, according to NBA.com. The results were filtered by lineups that played a minimum of 300 minutes together to avoid small sample size anomalies.
| Team | Lineup | +/- | MP |
| Golden State Warriors | Bogut-Curry-Iguoudala-Lee-Thompson | 14.5 | 796 |
| Phoenix Suns | Bledsoe-Dragic-Frye-Plumlee-Tucker | 13.3 | 310 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Brewer-Love-Martin-Pekovic-Rubio | 11.4 | 1010 |
| Indiana Pacers | George-Hibbert-Hill-Stephenson-West | 11.3 | 1279 |
| Washington Wizards | Ariza-Gortat-Nene-Wall-Webster | 10.4 | 254 |
The Warriors have the top lineup in the NBA in point differential, which isn't surprising considering how great a fit Andre Iguodala has been. Injuries have hurt the team overall though, limiting their time together on the court. Hamstrings and ankles, beware.
Phoenix using Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic together has worked incredibly well, but Bledsoe's knee injury was a huge blow to the Suns' season. It's not hard to imagine them being a lock for the playoffs if they were able to play this dominant lineup more often. Now, they're a half-game behind the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 8 seed in the loaded West.
Phoenix may be just outside of the playoffs, but the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoffs hopes are all but dashed despite being slotted just behind Phoenix as the No. 10 team in the West. Somehow they still had one of the best lineups in the NBA. How? We’ll discover that later.
NBA Power Rankings
That brings us to the Indiana Pacers starting five. They were the fourth-best in point differential last season and are here again as ... the fourth-best. They had an 11.2 point differential last season and sit at 11.3 this year. They were the most consistent lineup in the top last season and it's carried over into a new season. Paul George may have taken his game to the next level, but this lineup continued it's steady course. It's also, once again, played by far the most minutes together out of the top five.
Last, there's the Washington Wizard's lineup featuring Martell Webster in place of Bradley Beal. It's not surprising Washington has a group in the top five; the Wizards' issues have been depth-related more than anything else. They also have the sixth-best lineup in point differential when Beal is swapped for Webster. Maybe Gortat isn't a long-term fix for Washington, but there's no question he's been a huge reason the team is heading to the playoffs this season barring a huge late-season collapse. If I jinxed them, I'm sorry Wiz fans.
The Golden starting five
Players: Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Klay Thompson
Golden State has at times underwhelmed their fan base, sure. The biggest takeaway from this season has to be how great the Andre Iguodala signing was and how fragile their chances are without him. Every team deals with injuries, but the Warriors are an average bunch when they’re missing Iguodala.
This unit is the perfect blend of what Mark Jackson is trying to accomplish. They've held teams to 97.1 points per 100 possessions while also putting up 112.1 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. How good is that? The lineup's offensive rating is higher than the league-leading Heat (109.6) and their defensive rating is only behind the Indiana Pacers' 95.5.
But problems arise when Iguodala is out. Harrison Barnes' struggles this season are well documented and discussed, and when he fills in for Iguodala, the lineup falls flat.
It’s impossible to survive that sort of drop-off, but that’s the scary reality for Golden State. Iguodala helps the Warriors on both ends of the floor, has turned himself into legitimate spot-up shooter -- he’s shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc in spot-up shots, per Synergy Sports Technology -- and is crucial for their transition game.
If Golden State can get their health in line with their playoff run, this crew can carry them through games. Barnes will have to play better, but the starting lineup should be able to build maintainable leads for the bench.
Sunny again in Phoenix
Players: Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, Channing Frye, Miles Plumlee, PJ Tucker
Bledsoe's disruptive nature on defense makes him a huge asset for the Suns, especially in transition.
Can a Goran Dragic/Eric Bledsoe backcourt work? Phoenix was tasked with discovering the answer to this question, and the results have been spectacular. Phoenix found a way to bring it all together ahead of what was expected to be a rebuilding project, though Bledsoe’s knee injury was a huge hit through the middle of the season.
The offensive efficiency from this lineup sits at a strong 107.1, but the defensive rating is what really shines when looking over the numbers. They hold opponents to 94.8 points per 100 possessions.
94. Point. 8.
Defense is a five-man task, but having Bledsoe matchup against opposing team’s ball-handlers was a great way to improve on an individual level. This allows Dragic to float on the perimeter while Bledsoe works against the opposing ball-handler. The Suns have defensive options in their backcourt with this lineup, allowing Jeff Hornacek a chance to control matchups.
This lineup is also a very dangerous transition group with two ball-handlers, plenty of speed and three-point threats in P.J. Tucker and Channing Frye. This has been a very good lineup that could use more time together, and the Suns' front office will have to keep the success they found with Dragic and Bledsoe in mind when considering their future with Bledsoe this summer.
Love’s got everything to do with it
Players: Corey Brewer, Kevin Love, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic. Ricky Rubio
The Minnesota Timberwolves aren't mathematically eliminated from a playoff berth, but in all likelihood, it'll be another year without the post-season for Kevin Love. His individual defense, and the Timberwolves defense as a whole, has everything to do with why they won't see any postseason action. Their offense, however, created a powerhouse unit powered by Love and Nikola Pekovic.
Pekovic is a monster in the low post, and Love's ability to space the floor clears up the restricted area for him to go to work. David Lee can't help Andrew Bogut here because he can't leave Love on the perimeter.
The Timberwolves are at their best when they’re using Love in every capacity. He’s one of the NBA’s most talented players, able to score, rebound and pass at elite levels. The rise of Nikola Pekovic has been made easy because Love draws so much attention from opposing frontcourts.
The floor spacing also allows Pekovic to hone in on the offensive glass. He grabs 12.8 percent of all available offensive rebounds while Love is on the floor with him, according to NBAWowy. This lineup is successful for plenty of reasons, but it all comes back to Love. This is the lineup he’s logged the most minutes with, so naturally it’s going to be the best lineup the Timberwolves have. He’s an elite player and he affects the game in multiple aspects.
That this lineups is one of the best in the NBA has everything to do with how much better the Timberwolves are when Love is on the floor.
Pacers gonna pace
Players: Paul George, Roy Hibbert, George Hill, Lance Stephenson, David West
Here they are again: The Indiana Pacers’ starting five. They set themselves apart last season because of their stifling defense, but the amount of time this five-man unit has logged together over the past two season is what really stands out. They’ve played 2,517 minutes together over the past two seasons -- just under 42 hours worth of “together” time on the basketball court.
The one difference: Indiana had to adjust to George taking on a larger role on offense. George started the season red hot, showing a refined mid-range game and improved ball-handling, but that’s slowed down in the final quarter of the season.
The defense and offense are par the course they set last season, but the method continues to evolve.
This lineup IS the Indiana Pacers. That’s what makes them a scary opponent, no matter if they’re struggling to break 70 points at times. At their heart, they’re still a defense-first team. When George is locked it, they can transform them from contender to champion.
Washington running from it’s bench
Players: Trevor Ariza, Marcin Gortat, Nene, John Wall, Martell Webster
John Wall is playing the best ball of his career and earned his first All-Star appearance. Trevor Ariza is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc -- he's never broken 40 percent from deep in his career previously. Martell Webster has given the Wizards an immediate return on the four-year contract they signed him to last summer. Bradley Beal has built on his rookie season and is quickly developing into a quality NBA player. Marcin Gortat is doing his usual double-digit points, between eight-to-10 rebounds gig.
The Wizards are flourishing because of these things, and an aggressive defense that forces turnovers and scores in transition. It's when you start going down the roster from there that things get murky. Nene has been hurt throughout the season and is currently out with a sprained MCL. Then there's Andre Miller .... and the rest of the Wizards bench.
The top of the Wizards’ roster is playing very well together, but the bench woes have been an issue through the season and won’t be changing before they hit the postseason.
Their chances on breaking out of the first round and staying away from Miami or Indiana in the first round will largely rely on Nene’s return and maintaining their health to close out the year.
Drive & Kick
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There are no Spurs or Heat lineups this season, but it’s fascinating to see new five-man groups excel. Phoenix has a powerhouse that is in jeopardy of vanishing this summer. Golden State has created a monstrous unit that still feels like it can push to another level. John Wall is delivering on his potential in Washington. The Pacers aren’t going anywhere and have proven they’re the real deal. Kevin Love is doing everything he can -- at least on offense -- to make the Timberwolves a playoff team.
Every team has their own dominant lineup. They just aren’t as loud as these five when their engines start roaring.
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