OKC starters are the best 5-man lineup in the league

[TheOGJabroni]

At first I thought this held some weight, but then I checked which lineup led the league 2012-2013 (under your criteria) and it was:

C. Delfino | T. Douglas | M. Morris | C. Parsons | G. Smith HOU 2012-13

Seems like a championship team in my eyes.

Current OKC starters are obviously going to play a lot more minutes this season than the random lineup you found. I will keep raising the minutes requirement as the season goes along to flush out the queer cases.

I was mostly just being a wiseass. I actually really like OKC. I'm surprised this statistic didn't belong to the Blazers though. They may just be more balanced but they have less of a weak link, IMO.

[Texas Chuck]

The title of the OP sounds reasonable enough. Any lineup with Durant/Westbrook is going to be strong--we have many seasons demonstrating this concept.

The rest of the OP's thoughts itt are hilarious tho.

Look I get having the right role player--DeShawn was our Roberson in 2011--low minute "starter" who was in there to guard the best wing on the other team to start the game, then he leaves and the real 2-guard(JET or in your case--Reggie Jackson) comes in to play the bulk of the minutes.

I'm sure Roberson is a useful role player, but acting like he is the key to the Thunder success? Well good luck with all that.

[NBAfan3024]

Stats aside I think GS have the best starting 5 imo

[greenandgold]

The title of the OP sounds reasonable enough. Any lineup with Durant/Westbrook is going to be strong--we have many seasons demonstrating this concept.

The rest of the OP's thoughts itt are hilarious tho.

Look I get having the right role player--DeShawn was our Roberson in 2011--low minute "starter" who was in there to guard the best wing on the other team to start the game, then he leaves and the real 2-guard(JET or in your case--Reggie Jackson) comes in to play the bulk of the minutes.

I'm sure Roberson is a useful role player, but acting like he is the key to the Thunder success? Well good luck with all that.

I like Bruce Bowen or Tony Allen better as comparisons for Roberson. All world defense stoppers that have had plenty of success playing next to established offensive stars.

DeShawn was a fine role player but never an all-world stopper. In terms of DBPM DeShawn was a -0.7 in 2010-11, as high as it got during his career. Roberson this year has a DBPM of +3.9 leads all perimeter players in the NBA this year.

[JVL]

They've played 91.5 minutes together. Ninety-one-point-five.

Compare that with other starting 5's:
Raptors - +8.8, 213min.
Blazers - +11.9, 423min.
Bulls - +13.2, 161min.
Cavs - +3.6, 236min.
Warriors - +28.6, 245min
Clippers - +15.2, 402min.
Wizards - +7.9, 211min.
Grizzlies - +5.8, 295min.
Hawks - +3.3, 341min.

Their small sample size stats are impressive, but when the **** will RealGM fangirls stop making sweeping conclusions based on ridiculously small sample sizes and, most likely, statistical outliers.

[Texas Chuck]

DeShawn was a fine role player but never an all-world stopper.

I'd be surprised if 2015 Roberson would defend 2011 Kobe/Durant/Lebron/Wade as well as DeShawn did in our playoff run. Plus DeShawn had an offensive skill in being able to hit open 3's.

Roberson is a good young defender, but you really need to slow down if you think his D is closer to Bowen/Allen than it is DeShawn Stevenson.

[greenandgold]

DeShawn was a fine role player but never an all-world stopper.

I'd be surprised if 2015 Roberson would defend 2011 Kobe/Durant/Lebron/Wade as well as DeShawn did in our playoff run. Plus DeShawn had an offensive skill in being able to hit open 3's.

Roberson is a good young defender, but you really need to slow down if you think his D is closer to Bowen/Allen than it is DeShawn Stevenson.

See DBPM stats quoted above and also RPM. All advanced stats indicate Roberson is in another echelon of defense when compared to Stevenson.

Highest DBPM Bowen ever reached was +2.5. Tony Allen was a career high +3.7 DBPM this season. Roberson's +3.9 is better than both. I acknowledge he was to do it for a whole season and a playoffs before he gets his league wide respect. But that doesn't change the fact that he's doing it.

I understand players make their reputations during the playoffs. Just don't act surprised at what Roberson does this postseason to your favorite team's offense.

[thunderup_0_35]

DeShawn was a fine role player but never an all-world stopper.

I'd be surprised if 2015 Roberson would defend 2011 Kobe/Durant/Lebron/Wade as well as DeShawn did in our playoff run. Plus DeShawn had an offensive skill in being able to hit open 3's.

Roberson is a good young defender, but you really need to slow down if you think his D is closer to Bowen/Allen than it is DeShawn Stevenson.

[thunderup_0_35]

DeShawn was a fine role player but never an all-world stopper.

I'd be surprised if 2015 Roberson would defend 2011 Kobe/Durant/Lebron/Wade as well as DeShawn did in our playoff run. Plus DeShawn had an offensive skill in being able to hit open 3's.

Roberson is a good young defender, but you really need to slow down if you think his D is closer to Bowen/Allen than it is DeShawn Stevenson.

Jason kidd guarded KD the best. I don't remember saying damn Stevenson is out the Deeing.

[Frank Dux]

Roberson quickly became the most overrated player in the NBA.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Roberson quickly became the most overrated player in the NBA.

Just by the OP. I'd rather have Shumpert who can actually shoot and keep Roberson as a project.

[Texas Chuck]

Jason kidd guarded KD the best. I don't remember saying damn Stevenson is out the Deeing.

I think you are missing my point. Im not claiming DeShawn was a 1st team all-D guy. He wasn't. He was a good tough physical defender. You know, kinda like a veteran version of Roberson.

My point isn't to talk about how great DeShawn is. He is merely an example of a guy Roberson is like. Bowen/Allen are on a whole different level from either guy.

And while Kidd was pretty effective in small stints on Durant/Lebron--clearly Marion and DeShawn did the heavy lifting against those guys. Obviously Kidd was a better defender than DeShawn over their careers, and he was really good against guarding much bigger guys, but he wasn't capable of guarding elite SF's full-time while running the Dallas attack.

[bondom34]

I'm thrilled with the win streak, but really please don't do this. I don't want OKC fans to be "those people". Be humble please?

[Bergmaniac]

The schedule has been pretty easy ever since Russ got back, so I wouldn't read much into this.

Jury is still out on how much Roberson's utter inability to make a jump shot (not an exaggeration, so far in his career his jump shot percentage is 11%, most of them had been wide open shots) will hurt OKC against the top defensive teams.

[Shimso]

They've played 91.5 minutes together. Ninety-one-point-five.

Compare that with other starting 5's:
Raptors - +8.8, 213min.
Blazers - +11.9, 423min.
Bulls - +13.2, 161min.
Cavs - +3.6, 236min.
Warriors - +28.6, 245min
Clippers - +15.2, 402min.
Wizards - +7.9, 211min.
Grizzlies - +5.8, 295min.
Hawks - +3.3, 341min.

Their small sample size stats are impressive, but when the **** will RealGM fangirls stop making sweeping conclusions based on ridiculously small sample sizes and, most likely, statistical outliers.

Wow, I'm shocked at the disparity in minutes between POR and the other teams (although I'm assuming CHI is so low because of DRose)


92 minutes out of the 1200 (maybe more if there was OT) = 7.6% of the minutes played for OKC thus far....

[Ring_Me]

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

[yosemiteben]

Yes they're great but.....I'm really, really tired of hearing how good they are with no title to show for it.

Don't you dare insult TOR and GSW fans like that.

[sonictecture]

I can't help but feel that if the title of this thread had been, The Thunder Starters are Blossoming at the Right Time, that this would be a much better thread.

[greenandgold]

http://dailythunder.com/2014/12/the-starters-how-the-thunder-first-five-have-become-a-menacing-lineup/#more-31368

Longer version of what I wrote about the OKC starters. Best 5-man defensive lineup in the league according to the numbers, as well as the best net rating.

[naabzor]

Well so they have the best two players in the game of basketball and the best 5 men lineup. Talking about underachieving.