Throughout the NBA, many teams are lucky enough to boast incredible collections of talents that often start the game alongside each other. Here, we will look at some of the best starting units in the NBA this season.
1) Golden State Warriors
Starting lineup: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Jordan Bell
This one was obvious, right? Not only is this group of guys the best starting unit in the NBA, but they are arguably the best group of starters the league has ever seen. There’s 2 previous MVP’s (Curry and Durant), and another arguably possible MVP if he wasn't buried by other award winners (Thompson). No team in the entirety of the league is as masterful at moving the ball and making shots as these guys. Oh and don’t forget about All-Star C Demarcus Cousins who will most likely join the starting lineup once healthy, who will only make them better.
2) Boston Celtics
Starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford
Irving, Hayward, and Horford are all studs and previous all-stars already make the Celtics starting 5 dangerous. With these three, you automatically have a top team no matter who else you plug in. Then, you sprinkle in one of the most underrated players in the entire league (in my humble opinion) in Jaylen Brown and arguably the best player to come out of the 2017 draft in Jayson Tatum, and you have a team that might be able to overcome the Warriors. But that’s only if these guys can stay healthy long enough to get there.
3) Toronto Raptors
Starting lineup: Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas
The talk of the NBA so far this season has been the stellar play of these guys, which has propelled towards the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Kawhi brings the star power to this Raptors lineup, and was a clear upgrade from Demar Derozan despite Derozan being a fan-favorite. He's a former Defensive Player of the Year and a Finals MVP. An unexpected gain from the trade also will be an uptick in Kyle Lowry’s stats with him being the focal point of the backcourt now that Derozan is gone. The frontcourt provides Toronto with a gritty, hard-nosed dimension with playoff experience in Ibaka especially. And Danny Green was the best-kept secret to the Spurs success not too long ago.
4) Philadelphia 76ers
Starting lineup: Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid
A mix of high-end superstars and specialized role players make the Sixers lineup one of the league’s deadliest. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are the crown-jewels coming as a result of years of sitting at the league's basement. Dario Saric and Robert Covington (especially) are also should be considered some of the most underrated players in the league. Redick, who is one of the best knockdown shooters of all-time, also provides a consistent spot-up shooter and a vital veteran presence to an otherwise young and inexperienced lineup. The sheer amount talent and upside should have other teams having nightmares.
5) Denver Nuggets
Starting lineup: Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic
The Denver Nuggets are no doubt my favorite team to watch in the league right now. Offense is the name of the game for these guys, so much so that it basically becomes a pick and choose game for who will have a highlight reel by the conclusion of each contest. This group can score and move the ball at a high level. While there may be room to grow defensively, I think the more these guys play together, the better their defense will get. While the group lacks a high-end superstar that will go for 30+ a night, the fact that all of them excel at multiple levels of the game keeps that weakness from becoming a detriment to the team.