Bleacher Report Says the Houston Rockets Have the Second-Best Starting 5

Bleacher Report released some post-free agency rankings of the starting 5s around the league on Friday.

Even though the Rockets are likely not quite done yet, the team was still ranked second in the league as far as the starting 5 goes. The projected starting lineup of Chris Paul, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela was beaten out by only the defending champion Warriors, of course.

The Rockets definitely deserve that spot on the list even before the potential acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. They had a great offseason and traded for future Hall of Famer Chris Paul. While he is the only addition to the starting lineup so far, he adds so much to the team. Let’s take a look where some other notable teams fall on the list:

The Warriors

The Golden State Warriors, as previously mentioned, are ranked first. The starting lineup of Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green and Pachulia is just too good to match. As the article stated, this lineup is not even their best 5-man unit. Add Iguodala in there instead of Pachulia and the Warriors are even more deadly. How can the Rockets stop them? Both teams can score at will, but the Rockets will have to find a way to beat them on the boards and with their bench.

The Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are ranked third on the list. They are one spot above the Cavaliers, the runner up last season. With the addition of Paul George and Patrick Patterson to their lineup, the Thunder boast a starting 5 of Westbrook, Roberson, George, Patterson and Adams. While this lineup is certainly a great one, is it really a top 3 in the league? Rockets in 6.

The Clippers

Bleacher Report put the post-Chris Paul Los Angeles Clippers at number 15 on the list. Their projected lineup includes former Rocket Patrick Beverley along with Rivers, Gallinari, Griffin and Jordan. Danilo Gallinari joins the Clippers to make them one of the most injury-prone starting 5s in the league. They have the potential to be very good, however, if they stay healthy. Where will the Los Angeles Rockets…err…Clippers end up in the standings this season?

Even if the Rockets make the move for Melo, they likely would be ranked the same. For now, the Warriors starting 5 is too tough to overcome on paper. On the court, though, the Rockets will look to take them down.

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