Best Starting 5 in the NBA?

[e_blazer]

Sure, there are teams that have a better top two than LMA and Lillard, and a better top three than LMA, Lillard, and Wesley (Nic?), but I don't think that there's a team in the league with a better starting 5, top to bottom, than the Blazers. The Pacers? I don't see their backcourt as being nearly as strong as Lillard and Matthews. The Spurs? Nah...Splitter, Leonard & Green are good but...meh. The Heat? Not when they're starting Battier & Chalmers. OKC? Perkins...'nuff said.

What say you?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

The rubes think Minnesota has the best starting 5, which is laughable.

Portland is definitely top 3, possibly first.

I'd say golden state is up there when healthy

 

[Mediocre Man]

They said last night on the post game show that our starters were scoring 82 ppg or something like that.

I'm not sure they are the best, but that have to be the most productive.

 

[TBpup]

The starters are tremendous. That is why I'd like to see some type of improvement to the bottom 15% bench. I think Stotts still feels he has to ride the starters too hard and in the playoffs they will need more than a few one-on-one forays by Mo and an occasional basket by Freeland/T-Rob and a '3' from Wright. That is their Achilles heel.

 

[B-Roy]

I think Portland and Indiana mirror each other in some aspects. Both teams have great starting 5s headlined by a superstar (PG, LMA) and an All-Star (Hibbert, Dame). The other 3 are also very productive players. Both have relatively poor benches. Indiana wins with the #1 defense in the league. Portland wins with the #1 offense in the league.

 

[magnifier661]

I think Portland and Indiana mirror each other in some aspects. Both teams have great starting 5s headlined by a superstar (PG, LMA) and an All-Star (Hibbert, Dame). The other 3 are also very productive players. Both have relatively poor benches. Indiana wins with the #1 defense in the league. Portland wins with the #1 offense in the league.

Honestly it would be probably the greatest finals this season. I could see it go 7 games!

 

[maxiep]

I think the Nyets will have the best starting five once everyone gets healthy. That being said, I'm duly impressed by our starting lineup. Matthews has taken his game to a different place.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think the Nyets will have the best starting five once everyone gets healthy. That being said, I'm duly impressed by our starting lineup. Matthews has taken his game to a different place.

On paper, maybe, but Garnett is way past his prime.

I also wouldn't trade Dame for Daron Williams right now.

 

[KingSpeed]

If Lillard/Aldridge isn't the best 1-2 punch, who is? And who has a better top 3?

 

[KingSpeed]

Also, the Nets are good and will finish with 3 or 4 seed but they don't have a better starting lineup than us. Batum is better than Pierce, Aldridge is better than Garnett, Robin is better than Brook, etc etc.

 

[Mediocre Man]

If Lillard/Aldridge isn't the best 1-2 punch, who is? And who has a better top 3?

Lebron and Wade?

Durant and Westbrook

Howard and Harden

Love and Martin

Curry and Thompson

Paul and Griffin

Cousins and Gay

Nowitzki and Ellis

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Lebron and Wade?

Durant and Westbrook

Howard and Harden

Love and Martin

Curry and Thompson

Paul and Griffin

Cousins and Gay

Nowitzki and Ellis

No.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Good question, and I think you may be correct. From top to bottom, I think ours is the best.
#1 - Blazers
#2 - Indiana
#3 - OKC
#4 - Miami/Lebron
#5 - Golden State

 

[Mediocre Man]

No.

If we are going just on scoring, most of those others are better than Aldridge and Lillard in terms or scoring leaders

For example, Love is 7th in scoring and Martin is 10th

Curry 6th, Thompson 16th

Ellis 13, Dirk 15

Aldridge is 8th in scoring and Lillard is 20th

 

[MAS RipCity]

Love and Martin

Curry and Thompson

Paul and Griffin

Cousins and Gay

Nowitzki and Ellis

LOL WUT?

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

If we are going just on scoring, most of those others are better than Aldridge and Lillard in terms or scoring leaders

For example, Love is 7th in scoring and Martin is 10th

Curry 6th, Thompson 16th

Ellis 13, Dirk 15

Aldridge is 8th in scoring and Lillard is 20th

Scoring is sexy on the stat sheet but wins are sexier and right now the Wolves suck, the Warriors are average, and the Mavs are as well. If our 1-2 punch is winning games like they are they're top 5.

 

[Natebishop3]

Good question, and I think you may be correct. From top to bottom, I think ours is the best.
#1 - Blazers
#2 - Indiana
#3 - OKC
#4 - Miami/Lebron
#5 - Golden State

The thing is, virtually every good team has one weak spot in their starting five. I really don't see ours.

Miami has Chalmers.
Indy has George Hill.
OKC has Perkins.

Golden State is actually the most comparable to us, when they're healthy.

Curry
Thompson
Iggy
Lee
Bogut

The biggest difference is that our guys are all young. Bogut, Lee, and Iggy are all getting up there in age. Aldridge is our oldest guy and he's only 28(?) I think.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

George hill is a far superior player to Chalmers and Perkins.

Honestly I'd put George hill on the same tier of robin Lopez player wise

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I don't know about individual talent if Blazers 5 are better than rest of league. But I think these 5 play together as a unit and are as productive as any starting five in the league. Probably put Miami on top of Blazers . . .

 

[Mediocre Man]

Scoring is sexy on the stat sheet but wins are sexier and right now the Wolves suck, the Warriors are average, and the Mavs are as well. If our 1-2 punch is winning games like they are they're top 5.

My guess is the 1-2 punch on most of the other teams don't have as strong of supporting cast

 

[Natebishop3]

George hill is a far superior player to Chalmers and Perkins.

Honestly I'd put George hill on the same tier of robin Lopez player wise

Eh....... 11.3 PPG, 4 APG, 3.7 RPG, 14 PER

Lopez - 9.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.5 Blocks, 16.27 PER
I don't know dude.

 

[Mediocre Man]

LOL WUT?

LOL wut is a quality response. When you learn the other letters, add to the conversation

The question was 1-2 punches. All of those people I mentioned are either better or the same scorers that Aldridge and Lillard are

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Eh....... 11.3 PPG, 4 APG, 3.7 RPG, 14 PER

Lopez - 9.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.5 Blocks, 16.27 PER
I don't know dude.

Hill is a great defender with a drtg of 97. He had a 16.6 per last season too

 

[Natebishop3]

Hill is a great defender with a drtg of 97. He had a 16.6 per last season too

So at what point in the season can we go off this years stats and not last years stats?

 

[Run BJM]

So at what point in the season can we go off this years stats and not last years stats?

At what point will you judge players based on watching the games rather than sifting through stats the day after the games are played?

If Lillard/Aldridge isn't the best 1-2 punch, who is?

Mia, OKC, and Houston. Duncan/Parker needs to be mentioned still as well IMO. George/Hibbert is up there too.

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

I saw a pole that's been on Mike Fratello's blog on NBA.com asking who the best starting 5 is for a week or so: Twolves, Pacers, Heat, Thunder, or Clipper? Blazers aren't even and option. Silly Czar.

 

[dviss1]

If we are going just on scoring, most of those others are better than Aldridge and Lillard in terms or scoring leaders

For example, Love is 7th in scoring and Martin is 10th

Curry 6th, Thompson 16th

Ellis 13, Dirk 15

Aldridge is 8th in scoring and Lillard is 20th

How bout' we use the only stat that matters:

W/L

 

[Mediocre Man]

How bout' we use the only stat that matters:

W/L

Because that is extremely short sighted. Is Mike Glennon a better QB than Matt Ryan or RGIII?

 

[magnifier661]

Because that is extremely short sighted. Is Mike Glennon a better QB than Matt Ryan or RGIII?

Is Dan Marino a better QB than Joe Montana?

 

[Denny Crane]

Is Dan Marino a better QB than Joe Montana?

They're both retired old men.

When they played, I liked Marino, Steve Young, and Aikman better. Given the defense rankings, luxury tax level budgets, superstars at every position, there's no excuse to need a comeback victory. Aikman had a strong team and led it to victories without the need for heroics.