Head-scratching Spurs offseason ranking severely misses the mark

Bleacher Report ranked every NBA starting lineup after LeBron James' signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, placing the Spurs at the sixth spot. That's way too low for a San Antonio team that just put the basketball world on notice last season.

Sure, the Spurs' projected starting lineup may have its flaws, but let's not forget where it got them last season. This isn't some group that's looking to find its footing in the playoff picture; they're literally the defending Western Conference champions. For a team of that caliber, anything below a top-five ranking is abysmal.

Teams that should not be ranked above them

I'm not too bothered by every team that was placed above San Antonio. The Thunder and the Nuggets are justifiable; they're both bringing back some key starters who were largely unavailable last season. It's also hard not to give the Knicks some consideration since they are the defending NBA champions.

But the 76ers and Pacers should not be in anyone's top five over San Antonio. Let's start with Philly. While their starting lineup boasts a ton of All-Star talent, they have two big problems. For one, there are some real health concerns with this group. LeBron and Joel Embiid are clearly not as durable as they once were. Secondly, there's no proven chemistry amongst their starters.

The Pacers don't have the same chemistry issues, but they do have their own health concerns. Tyrese Haliburton is returning from an Achilles injury that kept him off the court for a year, so you can't help but wonder about his availability and whether or not he'll see a full return to form.

The Spurs' starting lineup doesn't have any of those problems. They mesh well with each other, and they're not walking into next season with any major health red flags. Combine that with the results of last season, and they should have easily been above the Sixers and the Pacers.

The Spurs' starting lineup could change, and that's a good thing

Bleacher Report projects San Antonio's starting lineup to be the same as last season, but things could change as time goes on. Based on their performance, Dylan Harper and Tobias Harris could earn a spot in that group of five before the end of the year.

There aren't as many other teams in the league that can experiment with their starting lineup quite like this. Mitch Johnson has so many combinations he can go to, and that versatility is what makes San Antonio such a special group.

Even if they stick with their current starters, they'll still be very effective. Outside of health, there aren't too many scenarios where the Spurs' starting lineup doesn't dominate on both ends of the floor.

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