The 4 Best Golden State Warriors Starting Fives
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – It would be easy to say the current Golden State Warriors starting five is the best the club has ever had. After all, the team seems to be rewriting the NBA record book nearly every night.
But that would not be giving enough credit to the team's amazing second unit.
So let's take a look at the club's top four starting fives of all time according to the NBA winning percentage tracking stats and let the debate begin.
Since 2014-15, the starting five of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut has an 81-10 record.
That's the second best winning percentage since the NBA began tracking the stat during the 1970-71 season. The Chicago Bulls of Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman have the best mark at 64-7.
Curry and Thompson may be the best shooting tandem of all time at the guard spot and Green brings amazing flexibility to the power forward position. But Barnes inconsistency and Bogut's durability and scoring ability are the squad's weaknesses if they have one.
The second best starting five, according to win percentage, was the 1975-76 NBA Champs. That starting five of Rick Barry, Phil Smith, Jamaal Wilks, Charles Johnson and Clifford Ray went 58-21.
Barry is a Hall of Famer and was among the league's most talent scorers in his prime. Wilks was silky smooth at forward, but was slight of frame, very similar to Barnes. Green's talent far eclipses those of Johnson and Smith would have had difficulty handling Thompson's size. Ray and Bogut may have played to a standoff.
That brings us to the 1991-92 squad of Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin, Tyrone Hill, Victor Alexander and Billy Owens that had a winning percentage of 19-7, ranking third of all time.
Hardaway and Mullin could have given Curry and Thompson a run for their money. Mullin was a great shooter from range and Hardaway was a hard-nosed defender who was tough to stop inside.
It would have been a great matchup between Owens and Green since both were extremely versatile. Hill would have presented a quickness challenge to Bogut, but Barnes would have been able take advantage of Alexander on the offensive end.
The fourth best unit, according to the NBA stats, was the 1971-72 squad of Jim Barnett, Jeff Mullins, Clyde Lee, Cazzie Russell and Nate Thurmond. The squad went 25-10 for a .714 winning percentage.
Thurmond was the centerpiece of the unit and may be one of the best defensive centers of all times. He would have dominated Bogut and completely shut down the inside. Russell was a streaky shooter who could score in bunches when he was on and would have been a handful for either Green or Barnes.
But the current unit is the best in the league at shooting threes. They would bomb away from the outside with an occasional Green challenge to Thurmond on the inside.
Barnett and Mullins would have a hard time matching Curry and Thompson. This one looks like a bit of a mismatch at the guard spot in favor of the current five.
