The Best and Worst Playoffs Lineups
In the postseason, lineups and rotations are shortened. Every substitution is calculated. So, what lineups have and have not worked?
Every minute is pivotal in the playoffs. Coaches shorten rotations and ramp up the minutes for the best players. Making well constructed lineups is a constant challenge. One bad lineup could totally shift the momentum and outlook of a game or series. So, which lineups have worked the best this postseason? And what lineups haven’t worked?
*SMALL SAMPLE SIZE ALERT*
Phoenix’s Starting Lineup Is Their Silver Lining
Chris Paul – Devin Booker – Torrey Craig – Kevin Durant – Deandre Ayton
Although the Suns easily took care of a zombified and shorthanded Clippers team in the first round, their play has left a lot to be desired. Despite getting good results, it’s clear this team isn’t title ready just yet. There is one thing that Monty Williams can rely on, however, something that still makes Phoenix dangerous.
We can question Phoenix’s chemistry, their shot selection, or their depth. But what we can’t do is question their starting lineup. Thanks to that nonexistent depth, the Suns have had to play their starters heavy minutes. No starting lineup has played more minutes this postseason.
Together, they’re the only reason you should still believe the Suns can make a deep postseason run. That starting five has a 125.0 offensive rating and a surprisingly stout 106.3 defensive rating. Part of that is playing against a team that doesn’t have their two best players, but it’s still somewhat impressive.
Any team whose starting lineup manages to outscore opponents by 18.8 points per 100 possessions stands a chance in any series. The shot making of Durant and Booker is too much for teams to handle. Those two guys can bail the Suns out of any uncomfortable or broken play imaginable (even if that happens on far too many possessions). Booker, in particular, couldn’t miss against what remained of the Clippers.
Again, I’m much less high on the Suns than I was before this postseason started. There were numerous plays where the guys on the court weren’t on the same page. This team is still more or less figuring out how to play with one another.
This starting lineup was good in the regular season when the Suns played against mediocre opponents. It’s also been good in the postseason against…similarly mediocre competition. Still, this lineup is the only reason you should believe this team that’s still hot off the oven has a chance to make some noise this postseason.
Brooklyn’s Future is Very, Very Bright
Spencer Dinwiddie – Mikal Bridges – Cam Johnson – Dorian Finney-Smith – Nicolas Claxton
The Brooklyn Nets had another wild, chaotic season. But it still ended in a first-round sweep at the hands of an Eastern Conference juggernaut. This offseason, the Nets’ endeavors should be much calmer. Sean Marks won’t have to deal with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, which I’m sure is good for the mind.
With a rag-tag bunch of wings and role players, the Nets were overmatched against a bigger, more top-heavy 76ers team. But it was closer than it looked. Brooklyn had a double-digit lead in game two that they squandered. Tyrese Maxey single-handily dismantled a fourth-quarter lead in game three. And the Nets looked out of gas by game four.
The starting lineup that head coach Jacque Vaughn was surprisingly effective. It featured length, shooting, and plenty of versatility. That lineup had a +12.1 net rating in 107 postseason possessions. Sure, that’s a very small sample size, but it’s a sign the Nets have something here. Throwing a lot of their new assets at a star player doesn’t make sense. Some of this roster does need to be condensed, but tearing it all down would kill my curiosity.
If Mikal Bridges and Nicolas Claxton develop into leigitmate All-Stars, this team can take the next step. Instead of throwing themselves into another superstar relationship, why not try to make do with what you have right now?
More Reasons to Hate The Gobert Trade
Mike Conley – Anthony Edwards – Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Karl-Anthony Towns – Rudy Gobert
The Rudy Gobert trade was a disaster from the moment it happened. It depleted a somewhat deep Minnesota team of their depth in the present and took away almost all of their future draft picks. Minnesota was embroiled in injuries and inconsistently all season long.
Karl-Anthony Towns missed most of the season with a calf injury. Rudy Gobert was worse than Walker Kessler, a rookie, defensively. If not for Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves would have been fighting for Wembanyama.
After making it into the postseason as the eighth seed, there was some hope Minnesota could give the top-seeded Nuggets problems. Even without two of their best role players, Minnesota’s spaced-out attack could, in theory, take advantage of a weaker Nuggets defense.
Instead, Minnesota came out flat in almost every game and lost in five games. The starting lineup in this series — the one Minnesota spent so much to get — wasn’t worth the investment. Minnesota’s best lineup managed a 122.8 defensive rating.
Gobert was supposed to solve this team’s defense and rebounding problems. Instead, with him on the court, Minnesota was even worse than they were last year. If you wanted more proof that this trade was one of the worst of this century, here you go.
Fun Fact: Guess who’s getting paid $46.6 million in 2026? That’s right, Rudy Gobert!
The Grizzlies Can’t Score
Ja Morant – Dillon Brooks – Desmond Bane – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Xavier Tillman
Meet the worst lineup of the playoffs. Yeah, that’s right. The worst starting lineup this postseason belongs to a top-two seed in the Western Conference. God, basketball is the best.
Even with a superstar in Ja Morant and the defensive player of the year, Memphis’ starting unit has a -15.9 net rating this postseason. I refuse to believe that this is all Xavier Tillman’s fault. I think we can all agree that Tillman is a downgrade from Steven Adams (or Brandon Clarke, for that matter), but this isn’t all his fault.
Floor spacing is the main problem with this lineup. Ja Morant is given a cushion. Desmond Bane has been ice cold all series. Add in Dillon Brooks getting the Ben Simmons treatment and you’ve got a 91.4 offensive rating.
Throughout this first round series with the Lakers, Memphis’ inability to take care of the ball has plagued them. That, combined with their lack of floor spacing, has made scoring almost impossible. Their defense from this starting lineup has been decent (107.3 defensive rating).
But, when your offense is 22 points per 100 possessions worse than league average, it’s hard to win games. Heading into this season, on top of finally getting more mature, the Grizzlies know they have to add some shooting and shot creation.
More Curry Calculus
After game one, it was clear that Steph Curry’s usage would dictate what has been an exciting first round series between the defending champs and the upstart Kings. In game one, the Warriors were excellent when Curry was on the floor and awful when he needed rest.
That trend has followed the Warriors throughout this series. No matter what rotation or starting unit Steve Kerr can throw together (he doesn’t have that many options, to be fair), it all hinges on Curry. He is success unto himself.
With Curry on the floor in this series, the Warriors have outscored the Kings by 49 points. In the time the 2x MVP has spent on the bench, Golden State has been ouscored by 35 points. Their -38.5 net rating when Steph needs his rest is appalling.
Steve Kerr has insisted throughout this series that he doesn’t want to overwork Curry. The 38 minute mark is where Kerr wants Curry to be at, but seemingly every game Steph hits that 40+ minute mark. There’s nothing the Warriors can do about it.
While Curry doesn’t look tired (somehow), this isn’t how the Warriors want to operate. The most surprising thing this postseason has been how much worse Golden State’s defense has been without Curry on the floor. Now, the Warriors have an offense that ranks in the 2nd percentile when Steph isn’t on the floor. But their defense is arguably worse.
A 137.2 defensive rating (0th percentile) without a 6’2″ guard who isn’t a stellar defender seems weird. Part of this may be that Golden State’s other elite defenders like Wiggins and Green are also off the floor when Curry sits, but that number seems unusually high. Perhaps the Kings just know they have to turn things up a notch for the precious minutes where the best player on the court isn’t wreaking havoc.
This Curry Calculus (I’m trademarking this, btw) will be what makes or breaks the Warriors this postseason. If they can’t survive in the minutes when Steph needs to get rest, it’s hard for me to see them repeating as champions.
But if they can even become passable? With a wide open Western Conference, anything is possible.
Which Lineups Have Been The Best This Postseason? Leave a Comment Down Below!
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