Anyone can list the best players in the NBA, but basketball is as much about chemistry as it is talent. Within each of the league’s 30 teams is a hierarchy, and how well each of the five players on the court understands and performs his role within that hierarchy is every bit as important as his individual skill.
Ideally, a lineup has its superstar, a deferential co-star, a third star who owns his role, a fourth option and a fifth starter to tie it all together — clear Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In this series, we rank the five best players from each tier for a broader look across the league. How close does your team come to an ideal lineup?
Rankings: No. 1s • No. 2s • No. 3s • No. 4s • No. 5s • Total
No. 5s: The Fifth Starters
What is a No. 5? He is the one who ties the starting lineup together. When you have pieced together your four best players, what is missing? Ball-handling? Size? On-ball defense? Shooting? Positional versatility? He might not be able to give it all to you, but he better fill the gaps, or he will find himself replaced soon. Or in a platoon. He may not be better than the sixth man, but he should make better sense in a quintet.
Without further ado, your five best No. 5s …
1. Derrick White, Boston Celtics
The beauty of Boston is that White and backcourt mate Jrue Holiday are interchangeable, and both are brilliant two-way players. White averaged a 15-4-5 on 46/40/90 shooting splits and made an All-Defensive team last season, when he received more votes than any other guard not on the All-Star team. He was so good during the Celtics’ title run that Team USA recruited him to fill a similar role for its run to a gold medal.
This is not normal. We should be asking ourselves: Is White one of the best fifth starters in league history? He may not be on a level playing field with the fifth men of the 1960s Celtics, who spun Hall of Famers throughout the rotation, but Danny Ainge, A.C. Green and Luc Longley have all won multiple championships as fifth starters in the post-merger era, and White belongs in that same conversation.
2. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder needed veteran depth to round out a rotation that surprised us last season when they captured the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, so they targeted two of the best role players in the league — Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. The latter is a 3-and-D weapon who can put the ball on the floor, while the former is a little more limited, though Hartenstein plays within his limitations as well as anyone.
Hartenstein was one of the NBA’s best defensive players last season, protecting the rim and surviving in space — mostly because he knew where to be before his opponent did. His shooting range is limited to an occasional midrange jumper, but his passing adds a dimension to an efficient offensive repertoire. His statistics may not reflect his three-year, $87 million contract, until you realize OKC is getting this per-36 minutes from its fifth starter: 11.1 points (64.4 FG%), 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks.
3. Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans face a real conundrum at their fifth spot. Are they tied to starting a traditional center? If so, their choice is between Daniel Theis, a journeyman; Yves Missi, a rookie; or 2022 second-rounder Karlo Matković. Any of them would likely be one of the league’s worst fifth starters. That may be worth saving some miles on Zion Williamson, who could be both too short (6-foot-6) and too brittle (184 career games in five seasons) to start at small-ball center.
It could also put the squeeze on Murphy, a fabulous player and would-be elite fifth starter. Murphy is a 6-foot-8 sharpshooter. He does not need to do much more than that — other than defend at a high level — but there is untapped potential in the 24-year-old. Murphy has the ability to attack off the bounce from the weak side, but the roster construct does not always allow for him to do it. And more often it should.
The collection of Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Murphy, Brandon Ingram and Williamson is an intriguing (if undersized) lineup. It is far more talented than one featuring either traditional center, and if we know that any lineup with Theis, Missi or Matković will be underwhelming, why not blitz teams with small ball? (At least until the Pelicans find a landing spot for Ingram.) Putting Murphy here is a protest against unoriginality, because no team with this much talent should ever be starting one of the league’s worst fifth starters.
4. Mike Conley Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves
In February 2023, the Timberwolves needed a point guard other than D’Angelo Russell, who imagines himself no worse than a third option on any team, including his Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota wanted someone who could make an otherwise talented team work — someone who would put playmaking for others above all else. Someone who would acquiesce to Anthony Edwards and set up Rudy Gobert.
So they scored Conley, once a No. 2 on the Memphis Grizzlies and the third All-Star on the Utah Jazz. Now, on the verge of his 37th birthday, he is only ever asked to do that at which he is best, passing and defending in ways that tie both the offense and defense together. His 5.9 assists per game led a 56-win team last season, and his defensive instincts remain, even if Conley is not quite as quick as he once was.
5. Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Whether or not Daniel Gafford starts the season at center for Dallas makes no difference; Lively should earn the starting job by season’s end. The 20-year-old’s 7-foot-7 wingspan wreaks havoc around the rim, contesting 15.5 shots per game on one end and finishing a pair of Luka Dončić assists on the other. He even flashed some shooting range in the Finals and promised to improve in that regard over the summer.
The Mavericks had Dončić and Kyrie Irving and shooting. What they lacked was a rim-running pick-and-roll partner for Dončić, and they wanted one so bad they tanked a season of their superstar’s playoff career to get him. They paid a $750,000 fine for it, and Lively is worth every penny — and then some.
Honorable mentions
6. Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs
7. Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic
8. Max Strus, Cleveland Cavaliers
9. Dillon Brooks, Houston Rockets
The rest
10. Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets; 11. Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors; 12. Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers; 13. Terance Mann, Los Angeles Clippers; 14. Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets; 15. Jusuf Nurkić, Phoenix Suns; 16. Kevin Huerter, Sacramento Kings; 17. Nikola Jović, Miami Heat; 18. Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons; 19. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies; 20. Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers; 21. Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers; 22. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks; 23. Taurean Prince, Milwaukee Bucks; 24. Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets; 25. Aaron Nesmith, Indiana Pacers; 26. Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks; 27. Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls; 28. Taylor Hendricks, Utah Jazz; 29. Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors; 30. Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards.
