If teams want to be competitive, a solid starting five would be a no-brainer. They dictate how teams will start off a game. But while starting fives are usually composed of some of the best NBA players, there are times when a team’s starting five is composed of non-household names. Here is a closer look at the 10 worst starting fives in NBA history.
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1. 2012-2013 Pistons
Lineup: Greg Monroe, Jason Maxiell, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Brandon Knight
The Detroit Pistons were pretty much terrible in the 2012-13 season, posting a 29-53 record. This starting lineup, headlined by Tayshaun Prince, was responsible for eight of those losses and never won a single game. Although Prince was a stellar wing who played a crucial role in the 2004 NBA championship team, he was no longer in his prime at this point. Moreover, the players that rounded out the rest of the lineup barely stayed long in the league.
2. 2011-2012 Bobcats
Lineup: Bismack Biyombo, Derrick Brown, Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Byron Mullens
If a team finished a regular season with only seven total wins, it doesn’t take a fan to realize that the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats were absolutely horrendous. Kemba Walker is the lone name that stands out. However, he was still a rookie. With these players mentioned above declared as the starters, the Bobcats posted a winless seven-game stretch.
3. 2009-2010 Wizards
Lineup: Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Al Thornton, Mike Miller, Shaun Livingston
When Andray Blatche is your No. 1 option, things will not turn out well. As a dysfunctional Washington Wizards team that was enduring the absence of top star Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards regrettably rolled out this starting lineup in 2009-10, which resulted in a six-game losing stretch. On the bright side, at least the Wizards managed to get the first-overall pick for the 2010 NBA Draft to select John Wall.
4. 2008-2009 Kings
Lineup: Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson, Andres Nocioni, Francisco Garcia, Beno Udrih
In 2008-09, the Sacramento Kings were still in a dark chapter. A prime reason for that was their inability to develop a winning roster given their draft choices turned out to be busts for the most part. This even forced them to roll out a lineup like this. While it didn’t look terrible on paper, the lineup didn’t produce results, as they went winless in six games.
5. 2014-2015 Lakers
Lineup: Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black, Wayne Ellington, Jordan Clarkson
Los Angeles Lakers fans will never forget the time when the Purple and Gold decided to roll out this lineup. Hit with an injury bug, the 2014-15 Lakers were forced to have Jordan Clarkson as the best player in their starting lineup. While he is a capable scorer, the rest of his running mates were just inconsistent at best. When the Lakers used this lineup, they went 0-6.
6. 2021-2022 Thunder
Lineup: Isaiah Roby, Vit Krejci, Jaylen Hoard, Zavier Simpson, Georgios Kalaitzakis
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the top teams in the Western Conference today. However, in order to get there, they had to endure many losses. In fact, they managed to tank their way through the 2021-22 season so they could secure a high first-round draft pick. In three games, they used one of the worst starting lineups of all time. While the Thunder did win one game with this starting unit, these players are basically journeymen or bench players at best.
7. 2018-2019 Knicks
Lineup: Kadeem Allen, Noah Vonleh, Luke Kornet, Kevin Knox, Damyean Dotson
Another team that’s been great as of late is the New York Knicks. The Knicks were in purgatory for a long period of time. In fact, Knicks fans probably would rather forget 2018+19 when they had to roll out this lineup. While it was only one game, these were all forgettable players. On the bright side, three of them are still in the NBA today. But make no mistake, they are buried in their respective teams’ benches.
8. 2018-2019 Bulls
Lineup: Robin Lopez, Walt Lemon, Shaquille Harrison, Rawle Atkins, Wayne Selden
Speaking of NBA journeymen or borderline NBA players, that’s just what the Bulls decided to stick with during the same 2018-19 season. Although Robin Lopez was easily the best player of the bunch, he’s also hardly an NBA starting starter. Surrounded with a bunch of NBA journeymen, it’s safe to say that the Bulls were just tanking their way through the season.
9. 2016-2017 Grizzlies
Lineup: JaMychal Green, Jarrell Martin, James Ennis, Troy Williams, Wade Baldwin
Just in the fourth game of the 2016-17 season, the Memphis Grizzlies had a bevy of young pieces at their disposal. However, they were also clueless how these players would turn out. Surprisingly, they had an interesting and young starting unit of unproven names. The Minnesota Timberwolves dominated them by 36 points. The Grizzlies then knew these players wouldn’t have a long-term stint with the team.
10. 2011-2012 Nets
Lineup: Shelden Williams, Kris Humphries, DeShawn Stevenson, MarShon Brooks, Sundiata Gaines
The New Jersey Nets weren’t exactly one of the most competitive team in the early 2010s. And when you can see that they actually had this starting unit at one point during the 2011-12 season, it’s easy to see why the franchise was a cellar-dweller. These players had the ability to make an impact in spurts. But to assign them as starters was a mistake.
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