Boston Celtics

NBA: The Best-Case Starting Lineups Of The Future

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:23 p.m. ET

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Jan 24, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) guards Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

NBA teams and fanbases alike hold fast to the hope of a star-studded roster. What are realistic “best case” starting lineups for some of the league’s most interesting teams?

In the NBA, hope is the food that sustains owners, executives and fans through the lean years of a rebuild. It’s how a team picks itself up after an excruciating loss, or convinces itself that the hard feelings of today will not last forever.

Rarely do teams hope for mediocrity, or spend time plotting how their team can reach “average.” Fans don’t talk with expectation of undrafted free agents, but of the chance of nailing a lottery pick. Free agency and the trade deadline are every bit as popular as the playoffs.

As early as the fall of 2015, whispers began to circulate that the Golden State Warriors had a path to signing Kevin Durant. While the Warriors certainly weren’t enduring a tough spell en route to a 73-win season, the idea of Durant replacing Harrison Barnes in the “Death Lineup” was impossible not to dream about. In the wake of their 3-1 Finals collapse to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the possibility of Durant was a balm for a sore fan base.

Teams around the league have hopes set on specific players, or a desire to see a draft pick turn into the next big star. Teams with assets are angling to improve, and teams with championship aspirations are considering whether to make a move. Every team in the league is considering a lineup built on dreams of greatness.

Some teams are better prepared than others to reach those dreams, as Golden State was last season. With an exciting sophomore class and a strong draft preparing to come in, the level of anticipation is only rising for the future. In 2018, 2019, 2020 and beyond, what are the best-case lineups around the league? What realistic roster configurations could we see propel teams with hope into teams with rings?

We land first in the capital of hope and excitement, Minneapolis, where the prospect of cap space and another lottery pick may finally give this young Timberwolves team the momentum to meet lofty expectations.

Jan 22, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kris Dunn (3) and guard Tyus Jones (1) talk during a freethrow in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 111-108. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves

PG: Ricky Rubio

SG: Zach LaVine

SF: Andrew Wiggins

PF: Paul Millsap

C: Karl-Anthony Towns

The Timberwolves are one of the league’s most polarizing teams this season, as the preseason hype failed to play out on the court. This dynamic core has held up their end of the bargain on offense, with three 20-point scorers in Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The issue has been on defense, where the heavy minutes played by the youngest team in the league have manifested in missed assignments and frequent miscues. Although they have improved as the season has gone on — now up to 23rd in defensive efficiency after playing the first weeks in last — they are not where most expected with Tom Thibodeau as coach. That has led to many calling for a shakeup of this core.

But continuity is an often overlooked quality in the NBA, as is team chemistry. The three stars in Minnesota genuinely enjoy playing together, and their potential is still sky-high. Rather than overreacting, the best move that Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden can make is to add to the core this offseason before extension discussions must happen with Wiggins and LaVine.

Millsap gives this team shooting at the 4, allowing Towns to slide to center and stretch out the court on offense. Gorgui Dieng could become a swing big man off the bench, pairing with either starting big or in bench lineups with Nemanja Bjelica, Shabazz Muhammad or Cole Aldrich. This team would have versatile depth in the frontcourt.

Every player in the starting lineup would have playmaking skills, giving defenses no soft place to land. Rubio is often maligned by fans and scouts alike, but he represents the best transition point until either Tyus Jones or Kris Dunn are ready to take the reins.

On defense this group would have one of the league’s best point guard defenders and perhaps its best defender at the 4 in Millsap. If Towns and Wiggins realize their defensive potential under Thibodeau then this team could easily be top-10 in both categories, if not top-5.

Millsap would provide this young core with a veteran that can still play at an elite level, preventing teams from hiding a poor defensive big when faced with Towns and Millsap. That’s a terrible choice to make. This roster wouldn’t compete for a title next season, but it would make the playoffs and be ready to continue growing in the years to come.

Boston Celtics

PG: Isaiah Thomas

SG: Jimmy Butler

SF: Jae Crowder

PF: Gordon Hayward

C: Al Horford

The Boston Celtics have built a strong Eastern Conference contender without cashing in their most valuable assets. Isaiah Thomas is a surefire All-Star, their starting lineup features three elite defenders, and they have youth behind their strong depth.

But the Celtics have been lurking on the edge of a big move for years, and this trade deadline represents the time for GM Danny Ainge to pull the trigger and let things fly. The incoming picks from Brooklyn, currently with the best odds to win the first overall pick, highlight a war chest of assets he can use to make this team into a true challenger to LeBron James in the East.

Jimmy Butler would be a tremendous fit on this team, and although Chicago has resisted trade offers in the past this offseason will be the time to cash in and begin the rebuild. This becomes exceedingly more likely if Chicago falls off over the final months of the season — a reasonable outcome given their injury history and the talent of teams lurking below them in the standings.

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Avery Bradley, Jaylen Brown and the Brooklyn pick would immediately give the Bulls three starters of the future to replace the loss of their “three alphas” in this scenario. The depth of this draft all but ensures a top-level point guard from the Nets, be that Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball or Dennis Smith.

The Celtics would need to get creative to clear the cap space to have max room after this move, but it’s doable. Then the leverage of a contender with room for another forward can call Gordon Hayward to the Northeast for a reunion with former coach Brad Stevens.

The marriage of Hayward and Boston seems destined to occur, not only for the Larry Bird flashbacks but because of Hayward’s versatility and intelligence as a playmaking wing. He would fit perfectly defensively as well with a roster that can suddenly switch 2-5 and completely lock down opposing offenses.

With three elite defenders capable of marking LeBron, the Celtics can wear him down as he ages into a less-dominant version of himself. And with Jimmy Butler being the worst shooter of the group, Boston can field a similarly potent offensive attack. Once again, Boston would turn into a title contender overnight under Ainge’s watch.

San Antonio Spurs

PG: Chris Paul

SG: Danny Green

SF: Kawhi Leonard

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge

C: Andrew Bogut

Key Reserves: Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker

The San Antonio Spurs are destroying teams this year, lurking just behind the Golden State Warriors in the standings and unleashing an MVP candidate in Kawhi Leonard, who somehow continues to improve every single season.

The lurking issue for the Spurs is at point guard, where Tony Parker has regressed to nearly replacement level. Patty Mills has been balling out for San Antonio as Parker has been in and out of the lineup with various ailments. But as an unrestricted free agent next summer he will want to make his money, and the Spurs will most likely be reticent to pay him.

The solution to their problem may come from the implosion of the Los Angeles Clippers, who have combined poor use of assets with injuries and bad luck to never reach their ceiling. Another disappointing finish may see Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and even Doc Rivers head for greener pastures.

If Pau Gasol declines his player option and hits the open market, the Spurs can have max cap space to add another piece. Enter Chris Paul, who joins with an organization best equipped to carry him past the second round. He would bring the best of Tony Parker’s prime along with tenacious defense and sharpshooting from beyond the arc.

Filling Gasol’s place in the rotation will most likely be a low-cost veteran hoping to get a ring. Andrew Bogut knows what it’s like to be on a title winner, and he doesn’t seem to enjoy the taste of losing he’s gained while in Dallas. With $116 million already in the bank, Bogut’s unique personality may gravitate more towards a true title heavyweight.

This team would almost surely be a lock for the best defense in the league, and offensively they would be versatile and punish opposing teams. Parker and Ginobili would be present off the bench and in the locker room, while Pop would continue to spin the carousel at the back of the roster to fill in minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers

PG: Ben Simmons
SG: Lonzo Ball
SF: Jonathan Isaac
PF: Robert Covington
C: Joel Embiid

Key Reserves: Dario Saric

This lineup is one for the future, looking ahead to the 2019-20 season when this group is a true title contender on the back of the most impressive collection of young talent in recent history.

Joel Embiid is a franchise cornerstone type of star, and has been dominant when on the court this season. On defense he fills the traditional role of a center, protecting the rim and using his size to clear out the glass. On offense he can drain from deep or bully his way to close-range baskets.

The team also has first overall pick Ben Simmons ready to step in and take the reins at point guard. While his development into an NBA star has been delayed, there is still every reason to think his ceiling remains unchanged from when he was drafted as the clear top player in the 2016 NBA Draft.

If the Los Angeles Lakers finish outside of the top three this season, their pick goes to Philadelphia. That could give Philadelphia two top-10 picks, and in a deep draft that will give them two more bites at the apple to add blue-chip prospects.

The best schematic fit beside Simmons is a sharpshooting guard who can defend point guards on defense and spot up along the perimeter on offense. In UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, the Sixers would also add a strong playmaker to keep defenses guessing and to run the offense for the second unit. Ball is torching college defenses from deep and he is clearly the best passer in the class.

Jonathan Isaac would be another solid prospect, one of a handful of athletic wings all marked to go in the lottery this season. Isaac stands out because of his scoring efficiency and ability to shoot from outside. Paired with defensive length and a nose for rebounds, Isaac looks to develop into a top-notch wing down the line.

Together this group would be versatile and talented, able to score 1-5 and play stout defense. While there is a lot of uncertainty as to the development of players, the example of Embiid shows that this team is doing something right. A few more hits in the draft and The Process could be alive and well in a banner hanging from the rafters.