Ranking the NBA's best starting fives: 76ers look great on paper, but champion Knicks hold No. 1 spot — SkimNews
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- The New York Knicks are ranked No. 1 behind a starting five of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Hart, and Towns, after a playoff run that included sweeps of the Sixers and Cavs and a five-game Finals win over the Spurs
- The 76ers check in at No. 4 with what the piece calls a 'paper monster' lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James (turning 42 in December), and Joel Embiid, with major health and availability questions around James and Embiid
- New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey flipped Paul George's contract for Jaylen Brown, a Finals MVP, then signed LeBron James to the vet minimum, moves the piece calls 'some nifty maneuvering'
- The San Antonio Spurs land at No. 3 anchored by Victor Wembanyama, the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history, but with uncertainty around De'Aaron Fox after his 34.3% shooting Finals against the Knicks
- The Oklahoma City Thunder are No. 2 led by back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though Chet Holmgren 'got embarrassed by Wemby in the postseason,' per the article
- Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets round out the list at No. 5, with Jokić posting a 27.7-point triple-double on 56.9/38/83.1 splits in a runner-up MVP finish, though starters dealt with significant injuries last season
- OG Anunoby, asked about Philadelphia, delivered a viral deadpan answer: 'I think they'll be good. I think a lot of teams will be good,' reflecting the champ's calm after delivering New York's first title in over half a century
Why it matters: The Knicks enter 2026-27 as defending champions and the consensus favorites if starting-five talent is the yardstick, but the 76ers' ceiling depends entirely on whether a 41-year-old LeBron and an injury-riddled Embiid can stay on the floor. Philly's front office also made two of the offseason's biggest moves — landing Jaylen Brown and LeBron for the vet minimum — meaning the gap between the Sixers' 'paper' ranking and actual results is the league's most-watched variable.
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