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?
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lebron and Wade? Durant and Westbrook Howard and Harden Love and Martin Curry and Thompson Paul and Griffin Cousins and Gay Nowitzki and Ellis
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
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.
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.
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
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 . . .
