Anyone can name the best players in the NBA, but basketball is as much about chemistry as it is about talent. Within each of the league’s 30 teams there is a hierarchy, and how well each of the five players on the field understands and executes their role within that hierarchy is just as important as their individual skills.

Ideally, a lineup has a superstar, a respectful co-star, a third star who owns his role, a fourth option and a fifth starter to bring it all together – clear Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 In this series, we rank the top five players at each level for a broader look at the competition. How close does your team come to an ideal setup?

Rankings: No. 1s • No. 2s • No. 3s • No. 4s • No. 5s • Total

No. 5s: the fifth starters

What is a No. 5? He is the one who ties the starting lineup together. Once you’ve assembled your four best players, what’s still missing? Ball handling? Mate? Defense on the ball? To shoot? Positional versatility? He may not be able to give you everything, but he better fill in the gaps or he’ll be replaced soon. Or in a platoon. He may not be better than the sixth man, but he should perform better in a quintet.

Without further ado, your top five number 5s…

1. Derrick White, Boston Celtics

The great thing about Boston is that White and defensive end Jrue Holiday are interchangeable, and both are brilliant two-way players. White averaged 15-4-5 on 46/40/90 shooting splits and made an All-Defensive team last season, when he received more votes than any other guard not on the All-Star team fed up. He was so good during the Celtics’ title run that Team USA recruited him to fill a similar role for the race to a gold medal.

This is not normal. We should be asking ourselves: Is White one of the best fifth starters in league history? He may not be on an even playing field with the Celtics’ fifth man of the 1960s, who rotated Hall of Famers during the rotation, but Danny Ainge, AC Green and Luc Longley have all won multiple championships as the fifth starter in the era after the merger. , and White is part of that same conversation.

2. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder needed depth to round out a rotation that surprised us last season when they captured the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, so they turned to two of the best role players in the league: Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. The latter is a 3-and-D weapon that can put the ball on the floor, while the former is a little more limited, though Hartenstein plays within its boundaries as well as anyone.

Hartenstein was one of the NBA’s best defensive players last season. He protected the edge and survived in space – mainly because he knew where to be before his opponent. His shooting range is limited to the occasional midrange jumper, but his passing adds a dimension to an efficient offensive repertoire. His stats may not reflect his three-year, $87 million contract until you realize this is what OKC gets per 36 minutes from its fifth starter: 11.1 points (64.4 FG%), 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks.

3. Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans face a real conundrum in their fifth spot. Are they tied to starting a traditional center? If so, their choice is between Daniel Theis, a journeyman; Yves Missi, a rookie; or 2022 second-rounder Karlo Matković. Any of them would probably be one of the worst fifth starters in the league. That could be worth saving some mileage on Zion Williamson, who could be both too small (6-foot-4) and too frail (184 career games in five seasons) to start at small ball center.

It could also put pressure on Murphy, a fantastic player and potential fifth starter in the elite. Murphy is a 6-foot-5 sharpshooter. He doesn’t need to do much more than that – apart from defending at a high level – but there is untapped potential in the 24-year-old. Murphy has the ability to attack from the weak side, but the roster construction doesn’t always allow him to do so. And that should happen more often.

The collection of Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Murphy, Brandon Ingram and Williamson is an intriguing (if underpowered) lineup. It’s much more talented than one with a traditional centre, and if we know a lineup with Theis, Missi or Matković will be disappointing, why not blitz small-ball teams? (At least until the Pelicans find a landing spot for Ingram.) Placing Murphy here is a protest against unoriginality, because no team with that much talent should ever start one of the league’s worst fifth starters.

4. Mike Conley Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves

In February 2023, the Timberwolves needed a point guard other than D’Angelo Russell, who projects himself as no worse than a third option on any team, including his Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota wanted someone who could make an otherwise talented team work — someone who would put the game ahead of others above all else. Someone who would go along with Anthony Edwards and trap Rudy Gobert.

So they scored Conley, once a No. 2 pick on the Memphis Grizzlies and the third All-Star on the Utah Jazz. Now, on the brink of his 37th birthday, he is only asked to do what he does best: passing and defending in a way that connects both attack and defense. His 5.9 assists per game led a team with 56 wins last season, and his defensive instincts remain even if Conley isn’t as fast as he once was.

5. Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks

Whether or not Daniel Gafford starts the season at center for Dallas makes no difference; Lively should earn the starting job by the end of the season. The 7-foot-7 wingspan 20-year-old is wreaking havoc on the rim, contesting 15.5 shots per game on one end and finishing off a pair of Luka Dončić assists on the other. He even showed a shooting range in the final and promised that he would improve it in the summer.

The Mavericks released Dončić and Kyrie Irving. What they lacked was an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Dončić, and they wanted one so badly that they forfeited a season of their superstar’s playoff career to get him. They paid a $750,000 fine for it, and Lively is worth every penny – and then some.

Honorable mentions

6. Jos HartNew York Knicks

7. Chris PaulSan Antonio Spurs

8. Wendell Carter Jr.Orlando Magic

9. Max StrusCleveland Cavaliers

10. Dillon BrooksHouston Rockets

The rest

11. Mark WilliamsCharlotte Hornets; 12. Brandin PodziemskiGolden State Warriors; 13. Deandre AytonPortland Trail Blazers; 14. Terance MannLos Angeles Clippers; 15. Dorian Finney-SmithBrooklyn Nets; 16. Jusuf NurkicPhoenix Suns; 17. Kevin HurterSacramento Kings; 18. Nikola JovicMiami Heat; 19. Ausar ThompsonDetroit Pistons; 20. Zach EdeyMemphis Grizzlies; 21. Rui HachimuraLos Angeles Lakers; 22. Kelly Oubre Jr.Philadelphia 76ers; 23. Taurus PrinceMilwaukee Bucks; 24. Christian BraunDenver nuggets; 25. Aaron NesmithIndiana Pacers; 26. Clint CapelaAtlanta Hawks; 27. Patrick WilliamsChicago Bulls; 28. Taylor HendriksUtah jazz; 29. Degree DickToronto Birds of Prey; 30. Alex SarrWashington Wizards.