Thunder Own the NBA's Best Five-Man Lineup, and It's Not the Starters
Oklahoma City's starters have been elite. As a matter of fact, the entire team top to bottom has been elite. Oklahoma City is a half-game out of No. 1 in the Western Conference and nearly every player on the bench has experience in big games. This team is becoming battle-tested, and every regular season experience matters in the postseason.
While the starters have been great, and the bench unit has been more than a complement, the team's best lineup is one that appears towards the end of games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren is the Thunder's most lethal lineup, and it happens to be the best in the NBA.
That exact lineup is also the lineup Mark Daigneault started the half with on Thursday night when he was looking for a spark.
The lineup has a +40.8 net rating across 169 possessions and ranks No. 1 out of every five-man lineup in the NBA with a minimum of 150 possessions. The group plays fast, smart, and clearly has a lot of chemistry together.
Gilgeous-Alexander has always been at his best with Isaiah Joe next to him in the lineup, and this data backs that up further. The ghost screens Joe sets and the way he spaces the floor completely opens things up for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Josh Giddey has noticeably struggled this season, and it was an eye-popping move for him to ride the bench to start the second half last week. It doesn't feel like a change is imminent in the starting lineup considering the team's success, but it feels like he's the odd man out at this point.
While the lineup above is the most effective, it'll likely be used throughout the game and not to start. Oklahoma City needs Joe's presence off the bench and doesn't have anyone that can replicate what he does.
It's got to be a nice feeling for Daigneault knowing he can turn to the best five-man lineup in the NBA at any point, though.
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