Hoops Nightly
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Lineup Surprises

How often NBA lineups change on game day

Since Sat, Oct 31, 31% of starting lineups (45 of 146) changed between the league's morning projection and tip-off. 3 projected starters then didn't play at all, 45 came off the bench. Across the season, teams have changed their starting five 113 times in 308 games.

31%of starting fives were not the one projected that morning
Latest switch · IND vs DAL
Kelly Oubre Jr.ProjectedOubre
3StartedSmith

How we catch it

  1. AMThe league publishes each team's expected starting five on game day. We read it every 5 minutes.
  2. TipBefore tip-off the lineup is confirmed. We keep the last projection seen before that.
  3. ΔAny name that differs is a surprise. The box score then tells us if the dropped starter played at all.

The swap board

The latest starting lineups that changed after the morning projection. Faded: who was projected. Lit: who started.

  • IND vs DAL · Mon, Nov 9L
    Projected
    Kelly Oubre Jr.Oubrecame off the bench, 23 min
    Started
    3Smith10 min

    Confirmed 16 min before tip-off

  • TOR vs MEM · Mon, Nov 9L
    Projected
    Jamison BattleBattlecame off the bench, 29 min
    Started
    Kyle AndersonAnderson16 min

    Confirmed 22 min before tip-off

  • DET vs WAS · Mon, Nov 9W
    Projected
    Paul ReedReedcame off the bench, 21 min
    Started
    Daniss JenkinsJenkins36 min

    Confirmed 18 min before tip-off

  • MIA vs SAC · Sun, Nov 8W
    Projected
    Andrew WigginsWigginscame off the bench, 32 min
    Started
    Pelle LarssonLarsson22 min

    Confirmed 24 min before tip-off

  • SAC vs MIA · Sun, Nov 8L
    Projected
    Keegan MurrayMurraycame off the bench, 23 min
    Started
    Precious AchiuwaAchiuwa36 min

    Confirmed 24 min before tip-off

  • BOS vs MIL · Sun, Nov 8W
    Projected
    Hugo GonzalezGonzalezcame off the bench, 10 min
    Started
    45Conley10 min

    Confirmed 21 min before tip-off

  • DAL vs BKN · Sun, Nov 8W
    Projected
    Max ChristieChristiecame off the bench, 17 min
    Started
    Caleb MartinMartin19 min

    Confirmed 19 min before tip-off

  • LAL vs DET · Sun, Nov 8W
    Projected
    Ziaire WilliamsWilliamscame off the bench, 22 min
    Started
    Jake LaRaviaLaRavia30 min

    Confirmed 17 min before tip-off

  • WAS vs OKC · Sat, Nov 7L
    Projected
    Deandre AytonAytoncame off the bench, 7 min
    Started
    Bilal CoulibalyCoulibaly20 min

    Confirmed 20 min before tip-off

  • OKC vs WAS · Sat, Nov 7W
    Projected
    Alex CarusoCarusocame off the bench, 13 min
    Started
    Aday MaraMara27 min

    Confirmed 20 min before tip-off

  • BKN vs ATL · Sat, Nov 7L
    Projected
    Chaney JohnsonJohnsoncame off the bench, 8 min
    Started
    Danny WolfWolf31 min

    Confirmed 21 min before tip-off

  • IND vs DEN · Sat, Nov 7L
    Projected
    Kelly Oubre Jr.Oubrecame off the bench, 16 min
    Started
    3Smith12 min

    Confirmed 21 min before tip-off

Every starting five, as a barcode

One bar per game this season, coloured by which five started.

Bottom lineThe Bucks have used 2 starting fives in 10 games; the Warriors 7 in 11.

How to read this chart
One bar = one game
left to right in date order. Hover or tap a bar for the game number and result.
The color
team color is the team's most-used starting five, white the second most used, grey any other. A solid strip means the same five every night.
The dot under it
whether that game was won or lost (colors in the key below).
On the right
the five players of the most-used lineup, the games they started together and their record.
Most-used five (team colour)SecondAny other fiveWonLost
  1. Warriors7 starting fives in 11 games
    Stephen CurryDraymond GreenGui Santos2Yaxel Lendeborg4 of 11 · 4-0
  2. Pacers7 starting fives in 11 games
    Kelly Oubre Jr.Pascal SiakamAndrew NembhardAaron NesmithJay Huff3 of 11 · 0-3
  3. Celtics6 starting fives in 10 games
    Paul GeorgeJayson TatumDerrick WhiteMitchell RobinsonJordan Walsh5 of 10 · 4-1
  4. Pelicans6 starting fives in 11 games
    Zion WilliamsonHerbert Jones25Karlo MatkovicJeremiah Fears3 of 11 · 3-0
  5. Raptors6 starting fives in 10 games
    Jakob PoeltlRJ BarrettImmanuel QuickleyScottie BarnesJa'Kobe Walter3 of 10 · 1-2
  6. 76ers5 starting fives in 11 games
    LeBron JamesJoel EmbiidJaylen BrownTyrese MaxeyVJ Edgecombe7 of 11 · 6-1
  7. Rockets5 starting fives in 11 games
    Kevin DurantFred VanVleetAlperen SengunJabari Smith Jr.Amen Thompson7 of 11 · 5-2
  8. Wizards5 starting fives in 11 games
    Anthony DavisTrae YoungBilal CoulibalyAlex SarrKyshawn George4 of 11 · 2-2
  9. Cavaliers5 starting fives in 11 games
    James HardenDonovan MitchellJarrett AllenEvan MobleyPeyton Watson7 of 11 · 4-3
  10. Magic5 starting fives in 9 games
    Wendell Carter Jr.Desmond BaneFranz WagnerAnthony Black114 of 9 · 1-3
  11. Mavericks5 starting fives in 11 games
    Kyrie IrvingP.J. WashingtonDaniel GaffordMax ChristieCooper Flagg5 of 11 · 4-1
  12. Hornets5 starting fives in 11 games
    Dennis SchroderNaz ReidMoussa DiabateBrandon MillerSion James7 of 11 · 3-4
  13. Grizzlies4 starting fives in 10 games
    Ty JeromeZach EdeyJaylen Wells23Cameron Boozer7 of 10 · 4-3
  14. Thunder4 starting fives in 10 games
    Isaiah HartensteinShai Gilgeous-Alexander34Jared McCainAjay Mitchell4 of 10 · 2-2
  15. Clippers4 starting fives in 9 games
    Kris DunnDerrick Jones Jr.Rui HachimuraDarius GarlandIsaiah Jackson5 of 9 · 1-4
  16. Jazz4 starting fives in 10 games
    23Jaxson HayesKeyonte George19Darryn Peterson4 of 10 · 0-4
  17. Lakers4 starting fives in 12 games
    Luka DoncicMatisse ThybulleAustin ReavesWalker KesslerJake LaRavia5 of 12 · 4-1
  18. Hawks4 starting fives in 12 games
    CJ McCollumNickeil Alexander-WalkerOnyeka OkongwuJalen JohnsonDyson Daniels7 of 12 · 3-4
  19. Kings4 starting fives in 10 games
    Zach LaVineDomantas SabonisDe'Andre HunterPrecious AchiuwaDarius Acuff Jr.6 of 10 · 1-5
  20. Nets4 starting fives in 10 games
    Julius RandleMichael Porter Jr.Day'Ron SharpeNolan TraoreChaney Johnson4 of 10 · 2-2
  21. Pistons4 starting fives in 10 games
    John Collins55Paul ReedCade CunninghamAusar Thompson6 of 10 · 3-3
  22. Nuggets3 starting fives in 9 games
    Aaron GordonNikola JokicJamal MurrayCameron JohnsonChristian Braun6 of 9 · 3-3
  23. Timberwolves3 starting fives in 11 games
    Rudy GobertLaMelo BallJaden McDanielsJonathan KumingaAyo Dosunmu6 of 11 · 5-1
  24. Bucks2 starting fives in 10 games
    Myles TurnerKyle KuzmaTyler Herro13Jaime Jaquez Jr.6 of 10 · 1-5
  25. Bulls2 starting fives in 9 games
    Norman PowellJalen SmithJosh GiddeyMatas Buzelis88 of 9 · 1-7
  26. Heat2 starting fives in 10 games
    Klay ThompsonGiannis AntetokounmpoAndrew WigginsBam AdebayoDavion Mitchell9 of 10 · 3-6
  27. Knicks2 starting fives in 9 games
    Karl-Anthony TownsOG AnunobyJosh HartMikal BridgesJalen Brunson7 of 9 · 3-4
  28. Spurs2 starting fives in 11 games
    De'Aaron FoxDevin VassellVictor WembanyamaStephon CastleDylan Harper10 of 11 · 8-2
  29. Suns2 starting fives in 9 games
    Devin BookerDillon BrooksMiles BridgesJalen GreenKhaman Maluach6 of 9 · 1-5
  30. Trail Blazers2 starting fives in 9 games
    Damian LillardDeni AvdijaScoot HendersonToumani CamaraDonovan Clingan5 of 9 · 3-2
Numbers to quoteFree to cite with a link · as of Mon, Nov 9
  1. 31%

    45 of 146 NBA starting lineups since Sat, Oct 31 differed from the league's own morning projection, according to Hoops Nightly's lineup log.

  2. 7

    The Golden State Warriors have used 7 different starting lineups in 11 games this season, the most in the NBA.

  3. 3 of 48

    When a projected NBA starter dropped out of the lineup on game day, 3 of 48 times he did not play at all; 45 came off the bench.

30 rows · 2026-11-09
Writing about this? Free to reuse, also commercially, with a credit. CC BY 4.0 Data licenseSource: Hoops Nightly, Lineup Surprises (as of Mon, Nov 9): https://hoopsnightly.com/lineup-surprises (CC BY 4.0)

More from our own data

What to keep in mind

  • The projection log starts on Sat, Oct 31, so the swap count covers fewer games than the barcodes, which use every box score of the season.
  • A projection is the league's expected lineup, not a team announcement. Teams often confirm late on purpose.
  • Only names count as a change: the same five players listed at different positions is not a surprise.
  • A starter who "did not play" may have been a late scratch or a coach's decision; the box score does not say which.

Full method · Today's lineups · The Report Card