OKC’s starting lineup ranked fifth by CBS Sports

CBS Sports recently ranked their top NBA starting lineups, and the Oklahoma City Thunder landed at No. 5 on the list. The Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets took the top four spots, respectively.

CBS Sports lists Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, and Patrick Patterson as OKC’s projected starting lineup. Many will argue for Jerami Grant to start over Patterson, which is a totally plausible scenario, but either way, no Carmelo Anthony opens up Billy Donovan’s lineup flexibility. Here’s what CBS had to say about the Thunder’s lineup:

“Patterson will be a ball mover and defender, while occasionally knocking down the corner 3, which is all the Thunder really need from him. Even with Anthony, the starting unit finished with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA last season -- it’s going to be even better this year with a healthy Roberson and a rock-solid Adams. And with Westbrook and George leading the charge offensively, this is unquestionably one of the best starting lineups in the NBA.”

Check out CBS Sports’ full list here.

The Thunder open their preseason slate on Wednesday, October 3rd against the Detroit Pistons.