Knicks keep top spot as new-look 76ers starting five draws scrutiny

A new ranking of the NBA’s best starting fives ahead of the 2026-27 season keeps the defending champion New York Knicks in the No.1 slot and shines a spotlight on the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuilt, star-heavy lineup. The exercise focuses strictly on starting units, not full roster depth, with the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors pushed into an honorable-mention tier.

Stacked 76ers lineup looks dominant, at least on paper

The ranking spends considerable time on Philadelphia, projecting a starting group of Tyrese Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. On talent alone, that five is portrayed as every bit as loaded as any in the league, but it also comes with more unknowns than the other units on the list because it has yet to share the floor in a meaningful game.

Durability is the first concern. James is heading into his 24th NBA campaign and will turn 42 in December, raising questions about how many high-leverage minutes he can still carry. Embiid’s availability is an even bigger variable after several years of injury-shortened seasons and a career marked by long absences. There are also open questions about how this group will defend, who will own late-game shot creation, and how head coach Nick Nurse will juggle roles and personalities.

New president of basketball operations Mike Gansey is credited with radically reshaping the core. He moved Paul George and his hefty contract in a deal for Brown, fresh off a Finals MVP run and several years younger, then persuaded James to join on a veteran-minimum contract despite the franchise’s long drought beyond the second round. Combined with a slimmed-down Embiid and a dynamic backcourt, the piece frames this as Philadelphia’s most imposing starting unit since the Julius Erving–Moses Malone era.

Wembanyama’s Spurs, Jokic’s Nuggets and SGA’s Thunder round out the field

Elsewhere in the top group, the Denver Nuggets are highlighted for a projected starting five built around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray with Christian Braun, Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon filling out the perimeter and forward spots. Last season was derailed by injuries across that group, but when Denver’s starters did share the court, they produced a dominant net rating, reinforcing their ceiling if they can stay healthy.

The San Antonio Spurs are slotted in with a lineup centred on De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama, flanked by Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and free-agent addition Tobias Harris. Fox’s four-year, $221 million contract and his rough Finals showing against the Knicks fuel debate over whether he should remain the starting point guard, especially with young guard Dylan Harper having outplayed him in that series. The safe expectation, the piece suggests, is that San Antonio will start Fox to rebuild his trade value while still carving out major minutes for Harper.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, complete the ranked quintet. The article also notes Knicks forward OG Anunoby’s calm reaction when asked about Philadelphia’s new powerhouse: “Philadelphia? Oh, I think they’ll be good. I think a lot of teams will be good,” he said, a reminder that in an unusually deep league, several contenders can make a credible claim to having an elite starting five.