Best Starting 5 in the league

LMA - 20.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.93 steals, 1.24 blocks, PER (19.6)
Hickson - 12.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.51 steals, 0.77 blocks, PER (20.0)
Lillard - 18.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.05 steals, 0.27 blocks, PER (16.5)
Batum - 16.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.44 steals, 1.05 blocks, PER (17.7)
Matthews - 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.45 steals, 0.32 blocks, PER (14.3)

Our starting 5 totals:

82.9 points, 31.9 rebounds, 17.7 assists, 5.38 steals, 3.65 blocks, 88.1 PER per game.

Is there another starting 5 in the NBA better than ours? I would say Miami would be, so I checked the numbers.

LJ - 26.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.66 steals, 0.88 blocks, PER (30.4)
Wade - 20.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.41 steals, 0.73 blocks, PER (23.2)
Bosh - 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.80 steals, 1.35 blocks, PER (20.8)
Chalmers - 7.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.59 steals, 0.15 blocks, PER (11.8)
Haslem - 3.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.59 steals, 0.18 blocks, PER (9.0 PER)

Their total:
75.8 points (-7.1), 28.1 rebounds (-3.8), 17.3 assists (-0.4), 6.05 steals (+0.67), 3.29 blocks (-0.36), PER 95.2 (+7.1)

So statistically, our starting 5 out performs theirs.

SO now I decided to take a look at OKC, since they are the best in the West and considered the most talented starting 5.

Durant: 29.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.58 steals, 1.22 blocks, PER (29.2)
Westbrook: 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.89 steals, 0.24 blocks, PER (22.7)
Ibaka: 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.33 steals, 2.79 blocks, PER (18.6 PER)
Sefolosha: 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.25 steals, 0.50 blocks, PER (12.2)
Perkins: 4.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.56 steals, 0.98 blocks, PER (8.4)

Their total:
77.5 points (-5.19), 31 rebounds (-0.9), 16.4 assists (-1.3), 5.61 steals (+0.23), blocks 5.514 (+1.864), PER 91.1 (+3)

I just don't understand why people think we would be in mediocracy when our starting 5 is mostly outperforming the two best team's starting 5s? This proves that all we really need is a deeper bench and better role players. We need 1 scorer, a center and a defensive bench wing and we could be in really good shape. Possibly even contention.

 

That is per game, not per 48.

 

need a bench BAD, the cupboards are bare my man!

 

Well shit man.... I guess I can just make PERs then. Should give you an all around average yes?

 

Highest scoring does not equal best.

 

Well just adding up "PER" as being one of the best factors on overall value; our team is pretty close to the 2 best in the league. Miami is no question the best "PER" starters, but we are only 3 behind OKC.

 

We outperformed them in rebounding, steals and assists too. The other teams have a better PER though.

 

Well, there are probably 10 or so teams with a better defensive starting 5. Hickson may be the worst defensive center in the league, and Lillard is probably bottom 5 at his position.

Batum and Wes are near the top at their positions, and I consider Aldridge average, but the falloff after that brings them down to mediocre.

Hickson is so bad I actually don't mind seeing Jarred Jeffries out there for significant minutes. No fan should have to say that.

 

I think our starters production would go down though with a decent bench. I do think we have three very good starters though.

 

You are probably right in terms of "defensive stats". But the core group of Aldridge, Lillard, Matthews and Batum are pretty good. If you add a true defensive minded Center and a bench scorer with 2 defensive bench players; then you got a contending team.

 

I agree about the bench taking some of the statistical averages down a bit; but sometimes I just think when we have to play so many minutes cause our bench sucks so bad; it fucks up our efficiency.

 

Seems like you would have to at least look at the minutes played by the starters. If they are very close is one thing. If our starters are playing a lot more minutes, I think you would have to normalize that by looking at per 36 (or 48) minute stats.

Go Blazers

Edit: But I think what you've shown sure indicates that our starters are NOT the problem.

 

I agree with you in theory. The one glaring weakness in our starting 5 to me is that LMA and Hickson are both poor at defensive recognition/help and are very slow to react on defense. If that doesn't improve and they continue to be our big man presence in the starting 5, well, you know.

 

Is there a starting 5 that plays as many minutes as ours?

 

Maybe. It depends on how good the center is. A Przybilla type? Probably not. A Mutombo or Ben Wallace in their prime? Yes.

Hibbert? Maybe. Depends on the bench.

But anyway, yeah, I love 4 of our starters. Not eager to trade any of our core. It's just unfortunate that we have so few other assets that we can trade with. Here's to hoping we can pick up some cut rate bargains like Hickson was.

 

I would guess our minutes probably trump all starting 5's, but I will post the ones I used as a reference.

Portland total starter minutes are: 180.20 total minutes.
Miami Starter total: 141.7 total minutes (+38.5)
OKC starter minutes: 238.10 total minutes. (-57.9) <-- This really surprises me

 

OKC starters play 57.9 more minutes than ours do. Miami's plays much less -38 minutes

 

this isnt true thats an average of 47.62 mpg

 

i count 162.1 mpg for westbrook/thabo/durant/ibaka/perkins

 

That's really surprising. Although I guess you have to consider that Hickson really plays limited minutes, which pulls the average down.