Why the NBA Starting Lineup Debate Matters More Than the Finish

NBA coaches will swear up and down that it is not about which players start but which players finish games.

Our well-reasoned, rational, wholly mature response: Psshhh!

OK, so closing games is actually a big deal, but starting them is, too. It is a big honor, for one, and clearly a point of pride. Not to mention, coaches obviously want their teams to get off to a good start, so it means quite a bit being one of the five players tasked with getting that done.

The (very) early portion of the 2026-27 season has given us glimpses of how teams will deploy their starters, so let us break down and rank every team’s starting lineup based on fit, talent, production and potential.

These rankings assess each team’s expected starting lineup, including regular starters who missed opening night, rather ...