Creating The Best NBA Lineup Possible

Now that the NBA season is officially complete, I want to start the off-season with a fun article in which I try to create the best five-man lineup possible using players from the 2021-2022 season.

Crafted NBA has a page on their website where you can do this very thing. They have a massive list of players, each with a specific dollar amount attached to them. The challenge is to make the best five-man lineup possible with $25.

You can make some very good lineups, but there are some limitations. For example, you will not be able to create a lineup with five superstars. At some point, you’ll have to make tough decisions and use your money wisely to create a lineup that fits under the cap but still has talent and fits together nicely. Once you finish your lineup, the website gives you a projected net rating and synergy rating to show you how good your lineup would be on the court.

I think I have a pretty good lineup, so let’s get into it.

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PG: Stephen Curry | $7

This was an easy decision because Stephen Curry is an extremely easy offensive player to build around. He’s the greatest shooter of all time and pairs elite off-the-dribble shooting with incredible off-ball movement. He’s also a plus passer, and his deadly shooting allows him to bend defenses because he can’t be left alone. He is an awesome player to have because he will make offense easier for his teammates by creating open opportunities for them just by being on the court.

The one issue with Curry is that he isn’t a great defender. I don’t think he’s a bad one, but his defense is definitely starting to fade as he ages. He’s also coming off the worst shooting season of his career, though we just saw him lead the Warriors to a championship as the best player on the court by far, so I’m not too worried about that.

SG: Lonzo Ball | $3

I played with many lineup combinations, and most of them didn’t have a second guard who could handle the rock and make plays for his teammates if necessary. I’ve watched the NBA for a while, and over the last few years, I’ve noticed that teams with a lot of capable ball handlers tend to do well in the postseason. This gives you more counters when defenses get tighter in the playoffs.

At first, I had Marcus Smart in this spot because of his elite defense and solid passing, but I wanted someone who was a more reliable three-point shooter next to Stephen Curry. I didn’t want to lose much on defense though, so I went with Ball, who has shot 39.4% from three over the last two seasons on very good volume. He also had an assist rate of 20% this year and ranked in the 97th percentile in D-EPM. He’s a very good player, and he’ll fit in nicely next to Curry.

SF: Mikal Bridges | $3

With some of my previous lineups, I had Paul George here to give me high-level scoring, shooting, and perimeter defense. However, I wanted more depth in this lineup, so I had to go with someone who was cheaper but could still shoot and defend at a high level.

Mikal Bridges fits that mold beautifully, as he shot 39.7% from three over the last two seasons on moderate volume and has posted pretty good D-EPMs over the last two seasons. Another thing he does really well is finish at the rim. He shot 77% at the basket this season, which makes him extremely valuable next to Steph since he can shoot the ball well and be a good cutter.

PF: Al Horford | $3

I would love to have a lineup with a point guard, center, and three wings, but I want to have an elite defense, and I don’t want to lose any rebounding battles. For this spot, I wanted someone who could rebound, play good team defense, and space the floor. Horford does all that better than any other big available in this price range.

This year, he was an awesome defender, sporting a 23% defensive rebound rate, a 4.2% block rate, and a D-EPM of 2.3. He was one of the best defenders on the best defense in the league, and he shoots 34% from three. That’s really good for a 6’10 big, and I need that on my team.

C: Nikola Jokic | $9

This is why I had to make some sacrifices and not get a star-level wing to play small forward. I originally wanted to get Giannis Antetokounmpo so I could have an elite defensive anchor and a dominant rim finisher. However, Nikola Jokic is easier to build around offensively since he’s a great passer and shooter.

Jokic is coming off one of the best seasons ever as he averaged 27/14/8 on 58/34/81 shooting splits. He had a ridiculous assist rate of 42.6% and was a very good defender. The Nuggets had a top fifteen defense in the league, and their defense was on par with the Bucks and the 76ers despite having very few quality defenders on their roster outside of Aaron Gordon.

Nikola Jokic has his issues guarding in space (turn on his series against the Warriors to see this in full effect), but he has improved defensively, which was clear in the regular season. Even though he isn’t a great perimeter defender, he is still an elite scorer, a very good shooter, and probably the best passing big man in the history of the game. He is likely the best offensive player in the NBA right now (either him or Steph), and he would fit extremely well next to the four players I have in my lineup. Just imagine having to defend Curry and Jokic? I bet you’re in tears just thinking about it.

Here’s what Crafted NBA thinks about my lineup. They gave me a projected Net Rating of 29, which translates to an 81-win pace. Yeah, this team is lethal. They also gave my lineup a Synergy Rating of 8.3, which means my players fit really well together.

I hope y’all enjoyed this article and if you want to show me your lineup, hit me up on Twitter @theryanmccrary and show me how you did.