Projecting Every NBA Team's Depth Chart Heading into 2015-16 Season

Depth charts are amorphous entities in the NBA, subject to constant changes as players develop, regress, get injured or showcase their skills at new positions. But all teams use them, putting every contributor on the roster into some sort of hierarchy.

Our job here is to figure out not only what those look like for each of the 30 squads in the Association, but also to break down the spots where we could see changes during the season.

Maybe a rookie will burst onto the scene and supplant a veteran. Maybe small-ball lineups will take over in a certain city. Maybe we're overvaluing the contributions of an incumbent starter, and he won't be long for the most prominent five-man combination.

All the depth charts displayed here come from Rotoworld, which should be the first place you look whenever you're seeking an updated one during the regular season. As a result, those are inarguable, even if some currently contain more players than a franchise can technically roster once action begins.

That still won't stop us from pinpointing the biggest question marks and potential swaps.

Atlanta Hawks

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Jeff Teague	Kyle Korver	Thabo Sefolosha	Paul Millsap	Al Horford
Backups	Dennis Schroder	Tim Hardaway Jr.	Kent Bazemore	Mike Scott	Tiago Splitter
	Shelvin Mack	Justin Holiday		Mike Muscala	Walter Tavares

Fresh off the best regular season in franchise history, the Atlanta Hawks didn't make too many changes during the summer. Concurrently, the depth chart this year should look rather similar to last season's, even if there are a few new pieces backing up Al Horford at the center position. 

The biggest difference comes on the wings, thanks to DeMarre Carroll's departure to the Toronto Raptors. Atlanta will attempt to replace him with a host of shooting guards and small forwards who all boast noticeably different skill sets, and the order remains up in the air. 

Thabo Sefolosha, considering his experience as a top-flight defender and an incumbent on this roster, should get the first crack at the starting small forward job, playing next to Kyle Korver in the opening lineup. But Kent Bazemore will attempt to challenge him for that gig, thanks to his defensive intensity and streaky three-point shooting. 

But don't count out Tim Hardaway Jr. or Justin Holiday, either. The former sputtered with the New York Knicks but should see his primary weaknesses—passing and defensive focus—mitigated in the Mike Budenholzer system, while the latter should remind Hawks management of pre-Budenholzer Carroll quite frequently. 

Also worth keeping an eye on? Dennis Schroder, fresh off this comment to Bild (via Sport1): "My goal is to start as point guard. If this doesn't happen, I will look for other opportunities."

Boston Celtics

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Marcus Smart	Avery Bradley	Jae Crowder	David Lee	Tyler Zeller
Backups	Isaiah Thomas	R.J. Hunter	Evan Turner	Amir Johnson	Kelly Olynyk
	Terry Rozier		James Young	Jared Sullinger
			Perry Jones	Jonas Jerebko
				Jordan Mickey

Though the Boston Celtics should be set in the backcourt and at center, the forward spots are still in flux. 

While Jae Crowder and David Lee enter the season as the presumptive starters in the depth charts we're featuring, those spots are anything but guaranteed. General manager Danny Ainge has basically collected contributors capable of lining up at either the 3 or the 4, and that gives him plenty of options. 

Evan Turner is anything but glamorous, but he does bring some ball-handling skill to any lineup he's a part of. James Young and Perry Jones have plenty of unrealized potential, though there's no telling if a playoff contender will be willing to let either of them learn on the job.

And the power forward rotation is even more confusing, given the money Boston spent on Amir Johnson this offseason, Jared Sullinger's undeniable production and Jonas "Swedish Larry Bird" Jerebko's floor-spacing ability. Throw in Jordan Mickey, who excelled during summer league after the C's brought him aboard with a second-round pick, and you have a virtual smorgasbord of options. 

Expect plenty of experimentation in 2015-16, as well as a constantly shifting depth chart.

Brooklyn Nets

Al Bello/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Jarrett Jack	Bojan Bogdanovic	Joe Johnson	Thaddeus Young	Brook Lopez
Backups	Shane Larkin	Wayne Ellington	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson	Thomas Robinson	Andrea Bargnani
	Donald Sloan	Markel Brown	Sergey Karasev	Chris McCullough
		Dahntay Jones		Willie Reed
				Justin Harper

While it once seemed as if this starting lineup was set in stone, the shooting guard position may actually be up for grabs. Bojan Bogdanovic, though he looked like a dangerous offensive threat during 2015's first-round playoff matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, has struggled to find a rhythm throughout preseason action, leading to questions about his job security. 

The Nets shouldn't worry, though. 

Bogdanovic is coming off his first NBA campaign, and that's always a grueling ordeal. After you throw in a sprained ankle and fatigue from the time spent at EuroBasket, it's even more understandable that he hasn't had legs during exhibition season. Thaddeus Young, speaking with Newsday's Roderick Boone, explained: 

"

Right now, you can tell that he is a little bit banged up. I think if you look at it, he's played a whole year of basketball and hasn't really had a break. Hopefully, we can get him some rest and get him back ready to go. But right now, I think he's just a little tired. That's all. I think he's only had like 13 days off over the whole summer.

"

Still, head coach Lionel Hollins could mess around with Wayne Ellington or Markel Brown in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. He shouldn't, but he could.

Charlotte Hornets

Brock Williams-Smith/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Kemba Walker	Nicolas Batum	P.J. Hairston	Cody Zeller	Al Jefferson
Backups	Jeremy Lin	Jeremy Lamb	Marvin Williams	Frank Kaminsky	Spencer Hawes
	Brian Roberts	Troy Daniels	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	Tyler Hansbrough
		Elliot Williams
		Damien Wilkins

Without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the Charlotte Hornets' wing rotation is much shakier. 

While P.J. Hairston is currently slated as the starting 3, it seems likely Jeremy Lamb will eventually take over for him. The former Connecticut star hasn't amounted to much in the Association, but he was also held back immensely by former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks' limited tutelage. He has a serious chance to blossom with some actual responsibility on the honeycombed Charlotte court. 

Troy Daniels' sharpshooting ability will also be important, and the same is true of Marvin Williams' relative versatility on the offensive end. But this is still a banged-up unit that doesn't evoke nearly the same level of excitement as the dynamic shutdown duo of Kidd-Gilchrist and Nicolas Batum once did. 

The other primary question comes at power forward, where Cody Zeller will have his work cut out for him if he wants to hold onto the starting job. The Hornets organization didn't just love Frank Kaminsky enough to draft him with the No. 9 pick this summer, but it also loved him enough to turn down a Godfather offer from the Boston Celtics—one that involved a nearly unheard-of six draft picks. 

Kaminsky has struggled to find his shooting stroke during preseason action, but one hot stretch could be enough for a little alteration in the depth chart.

Chicago Bulls

Randy Belice/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Derrick Rose	Jimmy Butler	Tony Snell	Nikola Mirotic	Pau Gasol
Backups	Kirk Hinrich	E'Twaun Moore	Doug McDermott	Taj Gibson	Joakim Noah
	Aaron Brooks		Mike Dunleavy	Bobby Portis	Cameron Bairstow
				Cristiano Felicio

Joakim Noah has long been a mainstay in the Chicago Bulls starting lineup. Though he was on the floor for the opening tip 31 times during his rookie season and started in over half his appearances during the follow-up campaign in 2008-09, he became a full-time starter in 2009-10 and hasn't looked back. 

Going back to 1985-86, no center in the history of this Windy City franchise has started more games. Noah is 69 games ahead of Bill Cartwright on the list and sixth overall, trailing only Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Horace Grant. 

But he may not gain any more separation on Cartwright. 

"While [head coach Fred] Hoiberg said he hasn't decided who will start the Oct. 27 regular-season opener against the [Cleveland] Cavaliers, sources said the first-year coach is leaning strongly toward starting Nikola Mirotic," as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune recently reported. 

Mirotic is simply the better fit in the Fred Hoiberg offense, seeing as it requires more outside shooting from all positions.

For similar reasons, you can expect to see more of Tony Snell and Doug McDermott than in years past, though it's likely Mike Dunleavy will step back into the starting five when he's fully recovered from his nagging back injury.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Kyrie Irving	J.R. Smith	LeBron James	Kevin Love	Timofey Mozgov
Backups	Mo Williams	James Jones	Richard Jefferson	Tristan Thompson	Anderson Varejao
	Matthew Dellavedova	Joe Harris	Cedi Osman		Sasha Kaun
		Iman Shumpert
		Jared Cunningham
		Austin Daye

With Iman Shumpert shelved until at least January while his surgically repaired wrist heals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a number of options at the 2. The most likely outcome involves J.R. Smith remaining in the starting role he filled ever since he was traded away from the New York Knicks, while James Jones and Joe Harris are the first two wings off the bench. 

However, it's possible Jared Cunningham or Austin Daye could carve out slightly larger roles, given their youth and enduring upside. Both are on track to go down as draft busts, but it's not too late for them to salvage jobs as rotation members in the NBA. 

With Tristan Thompson now under contract after the lengthy negotiations came to a close, the rest of the rotation is just about set. He, Kyrie Irving (once he's back from his knee injury), LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov are locked into their spots, while Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao will serve as especially important members of the second unit. 

Really, the only other outstanding questions involve James. 

Who starts when he takes a night off or enjoys a two-week hiatus like the one he took midway through his return to Cleveland? When he plays power forward in small-ball lineups, what else shifts with him? 

David Blatt will need to answer those questions at some point, though not quite yet. Not while the Cavs prepare for the opening portion of their schedule.

Dallas Mavericks

David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Deron Williams	Wesley Matthews	Chandler Parsons	Dirk Nowitzki	Zaza Pachulia
Backups	J.J. Barea	Devin Harris	Jeremy Evans	Charlie Villanueva	Samuel Dalembert
	Raymond Felton	John Jenkins	Justin Anderson	Dwight Powell	JaVale McGee
					Salah Mejri
					Satnam Singh

If it weren't for injuries, this Dallas Mavericks' starting five would actually look pretty dangerous. 

Deron Williams has been kept out of the entire preseason with a calf injury, and that's awfully foreboding for a player with such a checkered medical history in recent years. Wesley Matthews is still recovering from his ruptured Achilles, though he should be on the court for the regular-season opener. Chandler Parsons only recently played five-on-five basketball for the first time in six months as he continues to rehab a mysterious knee injury. 

That's awfully problematic, especially because the depth chart is so shaky behind those key players. 

Devin Harris should be in line to start if either Williams or Matthews misses time, though John Jenkins' scorching preseason could mean he's due for a bit more run in games that actually count. Plus, head coach Rick Carlisle has to determine how much action he wants Justin Anderson to receive during his rookie season, especially considering Jeremy Evans is out of place as Parsons' primary backup. 

This depth chart could shift dramatically, but that's not a good thing for Dallas. After all, if each one of the Mavericks' core pieces is healthy and ready to play, the changes won't be substantial ones.

Denver Nuggets

Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Emmanuel Mudiay	Gary Harris	Danilo Gallinari	Kenneth Faried	Joffrey Lauvergne
Backups	Jameer Nelson	Randy Foye	Will Barton	Wilson Chandler	Nikola Jokic
	Erick Green	Jamaal Franklin		J.J. Hickson	Jusuf Nurkic
	Nick Johnson			Darrell Arthur

Danilo Gallinari should be the No. 1 option on this Denver Nuggets squad, fresh off his torrid second half of the 2015-16 campaign and subsequent dominance at EuroBasket. Kenneth Faried is likewise locked into a starting job, even if he might not be the ideal fit in head coach Mike Malone's new system for the Mile High City. 

The third obvious starter is Emmanuel Mudiay, though the point guard is only a rookie. After a year leading the show for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, the 19-year-old floor general has a level of maturity that goes well beyond his age, and that makes him the easy choice at the 1. 

But questions remain at two spots in the lineup. 

Gary Harris and Randy Foye could spend time alternating starts at shooting guard, though the former obviously has more potential. After struggling immensely during his rookie campaign, the Michigan State product knocked down 50 percent of his shots from the field and 46.7 percent of his three-point attempts during the preseason, leading to some rave reviews.

ESPN.com's Bradford Doolittle, for example, revealed that he's the second-year player most likely to break out: 

"

Harris got lost in the shuffle a little bit last season. This year he looks a lot more comfortable at the NBA level. He's shooting the ball extremely well and his decision-making has been much more crisp than it was last year. SCHOENE tabs his chances at a breakout season at 19 percent, the highest of any second-year player who projects to average double-digit minutes.

Harris' numbers have nowhere to go but up and right now the depth chart looks pretty open in Denver at shooting guard. For Nuggets fans, if Harris and Emmanuel Mudiay emerge as Denver's best backcourt combination, that's a great sign for their team's future.

"

Even if Harris locks up the job, questions remain at center. 

Jusuf Nurkic should take back the job when his knee has fully healed—likely within the first month of the season—but there's a battle brewing between Joffrey Lauvergne and Nikola Jokic, both of whom have looked quite impressive during preseason action.

Detroit Pistons

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Reggie Jackson	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	Marcus Morris	Ersan Ilyasova	Andre Drummond
Backups	Brandon Jennings	Jodie Meeks	Stanley Johnson	Anthony Tolliver	Aron Baynes
	Steve Blake	Cartier Martin	Adonis Thomas		Joel Anthony
	Spencer Dinwiddie	Darrun Hilliard	Reggie Bullock
			Danny Granger

Reggie Jackson starting contests with Brandon Jennings coming off the pine once he's healthy? Check. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looking to shred the underrated label while Jodie Meeks spells him? Mark it down. Andre Drummond beginning games on the court and Aron Baynes taking over when he needs a breather? Pencil it in, even though that's a far less promising two-man combo. 

The biggest question marks here come at the forward spots. Incidentally, that's where Stan Van Gundy's focus rested during most of the offseason. 

Trade addition Ersan Ilyasova is the presumptive starter at power forward and for good reason. He's able to knock down shots from the perimeter with some degree of accuracy, making him an ideal player in the four-out, one-in model Van Gundy is trying to bring to the Motor City. But if he struggles, it's possible we could see Marcus Morris slide up a spot in the lineup and force the Turkish 4 to the bench. 

That would be an especially easy decision if Stanley Johnson doesn't play like a rookie. After lighting the world on fire during his initial summer league performances, the Arizona product has regressed significantly during preseason action, shooting only 38.5 percent from the field. 

But finding his stroke again would give Johnson the two-way ability the Pistons need at small forward, allowing him to jump past Morris in the hierarchy and potentially forcing Van Gundy to play a bit smaller in order to maximize the amount of on-court talent in the starting five.

Golden State Warriors

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Stephen Curry	Klay Thompson	Harrison Barnes	Draymond Green	Andrew Bogut
Backups	Shaun Livingston	Leandro Barbosa	Andre Iguodala	Marreese Speights	Festus Ezeli
		Brandon Rush		James Michael McAdoo	Jason Thompson
		Chris Babb		Kevon Looney

What needed to change here? After one of the best years in NBA history, absolutely nothing. 

The Golden State Warriors apparently agreed, because their offseason was a quiet one. Few moves were made, and Bleacher Report's Vytis Lasaitis broke down exactly what transpired: 

"

It comes as no surprise that the Warriors decided against shaking up a winning concept. Other than re-signing Green, Golden State accomplished two other things. By moving David Lee's $15.5 million expiring contract, the Warriors trimmed their luxury-tax bill. They also improved their frontcourt with the addition of Jason Thompson.

"

James Michael McAdoo is still a bit too raw to move past either of the power forwards ahead of him on the depth chart, and Brandon Rush's injuries have reduced him to a third-string shooting guard without much hope of supplanting Leandro Barbosa as the primary backup 2. 

Thompson is the only man who can make any noise, coming off a season with the Sacramento Kings in which he averaged 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 47 percent from the field. Should he excel as a strong defender and rebounding presence, he could potentially serve as the backup power forward against some matchups. 

Still, the status quo reigns supreme in the Bay Area.

Houston Rockets

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Ty Lawson	James Harden	Trevor Ariza	Terrence Jones	Dwight Howard
Backups	Patrick Beverley	Marcus Thornton	Corey Brewer	Donatas Motiejunas	Clint Capela
			K.J. McDaniels	Montrezl Harrell
			Sam Dekker	Arsalan Kazemi

Despite the entertaining nature of his game, Montrezl Harrell is still lagging well behind the two incumbents in the power forward rotation. The Dream Shake's Darren Yuvan broke this down in some detail, concluding with the following: 

"

Harrell's an intriguing player, a fast fan favorite, and definitely one we should all be keeping ours eyes on, but he clearly lags behind [Terrence] Jones both in direct comparison and in the probability of his future success. The possibility does exist that Harrell's production matches and exceeds Jones, but the probability is excessively small. Without any NBA sample size to examine, that's all we have to go on.

So please, the next time someone claims that a second-round rookie who had a worse college career and who has yet to play a single, real professional minute of basketball is already better or will shortly be better than a player who's already been contributing at a relatively high level for three straight seasons, call it out for what it is:

Pure, unequivocal conjecture.

"

The battle for the starting job is basically nonexistent right now. Donatas Motiejunas will reinsert himself into the conversation when he's healthy enough to take the court, but his back is keeping him from logging much practice time right now, let alone real action. As such, the job is Terrence Jones' to lose, and he shouldn't, so long as he's able to stay healthy and continue serving as a decent floor-spacer who can protect the rim. 

In fact, the most interesting battles come in two different spots.

On the wing, Trevor Ariza is the clear-cut starter, but K.J. McDaniels and Sam Dekker are both capable of showing off their palpable upside and taking Corey Brewer's job before we reach the All-Star break. At point guard, Ty Lawson is the presumptive starter, but Patrick Beverley's efficient spot-up shooting could allow him to be on the court for the opening tip against some opponents with strong offensive presences at both backcourt positions.

Indiana Pacers

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	George Hill	Monta Ellis	C.J. Miles	Paul George	Ian Mahinmi
Backups	Joseph Young	Rodney Stuckey	Chase Budinger	Jordan Hill	Myles Turner
	Toney Douglas		Solomon Hill	Lavoy Allen	Shayne Whittington
			Glenn Robinson III	Rakeem Christmas

Everything hinges on Paul George and his willingness to play the 4. After six preseason games, it seems like he's starting to accept that role, which is great news for the Indiana Pacers. If nothing else, it gives them plenty more versatility and far less potential chemistry issues. 

As he told NBA.com's Steve Aschburner, he's come to realize the position won't hold him back in his return from a devastating broken leg suffered last summer while practicing with Team USA: 

"

At one point, it was hard to wrap [my head around] everything. Here I am coming back from a big-time injury and wanting to get back to what I used to be, playing the 3. Then I come back playing a stretch 4—it took a toll on me mentally.

But the more we've had practice time and I've had sit-down moments with coach and with Larry, the more at ease I've felt about the situation.

"

With George leading the depth chart at power forward, the Pacers aren't forced to give Jordan Hill too large a role or throw Myles Turner into the fire as an opening-day starter. Hill and Lavoy Allen will bring defense off the bench, while Turner can grow into a rim-protecting big with a distinct level of stretchiness at his own pace. 

The forward combination of C.J. Miles and George is the ideal one for Indiana, which heads into the regular season with playoff aspirations after falling into the lottery in the superstar's absence.

Los Angeles Clippers

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Chris Paul	J.J. Redick	Wes Johnson	Blake Griffin	DeAndre Jordan
Backups	Austin Rivers	Jamal Crawford	Paul Pierce	Josh Smith	Cole Aldrich
	Pablo Prigioni	Lance Stephenson		Branden Dawson	Chuck Hayes
		C.J. Wilcox

Almost everything is set in stone for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are firmly entrenched as starters, while Jamal Crawford will be the de facto sixth man and first ball-handler off the pine. Behind them, we have Austin Rivers, Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith and Cole Aldrich.

No questions there.

But at small forward, uncertainty could reign supreme.

Wesley Johnson started over Paul Pierce at the beginning of the preseason, but whether that continues during the regular season is still up in the air. Pierce's offensive ability and knack for spot-up shooting in key moments could help the Clippers space the court around Jordan. Plus, Stephenson could also be in the picture. 

As Ben Bolch explained for the Los Angeles Times, the different strengths make experimentation possible: 

"

Each of the three candidates for the last starting spot comes with advantages. Stephenson would give the starters a lockdown perimeter defender to pair with Paul. Wesley Johnson is a decent three-point shooter who could help with spacing.

Paul Pierce is a versatile veteran known for his clutch shooting, which he displayed against Portland by making four three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' wild comeback from a 35-point deficit.

"

This one might not be settled for quite some time. Someone is guaranteed to own a plurality of the starts, but a majority isn't certain.

Los Angeles Lakers

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	D'Angelo Russell	Jordan Clarkson	Kobe Bryant	Julius Randle	Roy Hibbert
Backups	Lou Williams	Nick Young	Ryan Kelly	Brandon Bass	Tarik Black
	Marcelo Huertas	Jabari Brown	Metta World Peace	Larry Nance	Robert Sacre
			Anthony Brown
			Jonathan Holmes

If the Los Angeles Lakers are intent on getting their most talented players onto the hardwood for each opening tipoff, the lineup you can see above is what they'll go with.

D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson both need to be in the starting five, which pushes Kobe Bryant to a position he isn't quite as intimately familiar with. He may claim he's always been a small forward, but Basketball-Reference.com shows only 9 percent of his career minutes have come at the 3. Regardless, it's a risky venture that could pay off. 

So long as head coach Byron Scott is willing to stick with that unorthodox trio, the rest of the depth chart just falls into place with ease. 

Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert—both essentially new additions to the Lake Show after the former was lost for the season one game into his rookie campaign—are the easy choices as frontcourt starters, while Brandon Bass and Tarik Black are the obvious backups. And with Lou Williams and Nick Young capable of providing scoring sparks off the pine, they'll have to get in the game. 

The only true uncertainty involves, as it so often does, Metta World Peace. It's been a while since he's received meaningful NBA minutes, so it remains to be seen whether he'll jump Ryan Kelly in the rotation or fall even deeper down into the ranks of reserves.

Memphis Grizzlies

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Mike Conley	Courtney Lee	Jeff Green	Zach Randolph	Marc Gasol
Backups	Beno Udrih	Matt Barnes	Tony Allen	Jarnell Stokes	Brandan Wright
	Andrew Harrison	Vince Carter		JaMychal Green
	Russ Smith	Jordan Adams		Jarell Martin

Make it two teams in a row with depth charts that are fairly easy to figure out. 

Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are firmly entrenched as the starters, just as they have been for years.

The only question marks come at the two wing positions, where Courtney Lee and Jeff Green appear to have a slight edge over Matt Barnes, Tony Allen, Vince Carter and Jordan Adams. All six should get onto the court with relative frequency, and matchups may dictate whether the Grizz value Allen's defense, Carter's shooting or Adam's upside in a major role. 

Perhaps the biggest change from last year will be the JaMychal Green's inclusion as a significant part of the rotation. 

"Along the way, Green seems to have acquired something difficult to obtain for young players on playoff teams: the trust of his coach," posited Chris Herrington of the Commercial Appeal. "He now seems a likely bet to open the season with a spot in the rotation."

Randolph and Gasol are getting up there in years, so don't be surprised when Green and Jarnell Stokes log some serious minutes.

Miami Heat

Bill Baptist/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Goran Dragic	Dwyane Wade	Luol Deng	Chris Bosh	Hassan Whiteside
Backups	Mario Chalmers	Gerald Green	Justise Winslow	Josh McRoberts	Amar'e Stoudemire
	Tyler Johnson	Josh Richardson	James Ennis	Udonis Haslem	Chris Andersen

The Miami Heat have reason to be excited about their presumptive starting five. With Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside all healthy, this squad has a serious chance to enjoy a meteoric ascent up the Eastern Conference, potentially rising as high as the No. 2 seed and enjoying home-court advantage up to the penultimate round of the playoffs. 

But that's not guaranteed, seeing as so many members are fragile. Should any of them need some nights off, the backups are a little more limited than Miami would like. 

Still, the second unit is also seemingly locked into place. Mario Chalmers, Gerald Green, Justise Winslow, Josh McRoberts and Amar'e Stoudemire are the clear-cut backups at each position, with only Chris Andersen posing a serious threat to move up in the rotation.

Milwaukee Bucks

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Michael Carter-Williams	Khris Middleton	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Jabari Parker	Greg Monroe
Backups	Greivis Vasquez	O.J. Mayo	Damien Inglis	Chris Copeland	John Henson
	Tyler Ennis	Rashad Vaughn		Johnny O'Bryant	Miles Plumlee
	Jerryd Bayless

Positions don't exactly matter for the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Khris Middleton is versatile enough that he can capably play either shooting guard, small forward or power forward. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the few members of the Association who can convincingly line up at any of the five positions for a possession or two. Jabari Parker is very much a tweener, capable of suiting up at either forward spot. 

"He's 20 years old [Antetokounmpo], and he's going to play every position for us," head coach Jason Kidd said this preseason, per ESPN.com. "He's never complaining. He just goes out there and plays."

Perhaps most importantly, Kidd has shown that he doesn't feel the need to adhere to the traditional—and often archaic—positional designations. 

But we still have to fit Milwaukee's roster into a normal depth chart, and that's actually not too hard a process. The five starters are quite easy to determine now that Michael Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe are both in place at the start of a season, and the primary backups—Greivis Vasquez, O.J. Mayo and John Henson—all tend to stick to one position above all else.

Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA Photos/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Ricky Rubio	Andrew Wiggins	Tayshaun Prince	Kevin Garnett	Karl-Anthony Towns
Backups	Zach LaVine	Kevin Martin	Shabazz Muhammad	Nemanja Bjelica	Gorgui Dieng
	Andre Miller		Damjan Rudez	Adreian Payne	Nikola Pekovic
	Lorenzo Brown
	Tyus Jones

So much depends on the amount of run support interim head coach Sam Mitchell wants to give to the veterans. 

If Tayshaun Prince, Andre Miller and Kevin Garnett all receive a significant amount of playing time, that will have to come at the expense of the plethora of promising young contributors.

Garnett blocks Nemanja Bjelica, Adreian Payne and Gorgui Dieng at power forward. Andre Miller isn't a starter, but he still gets in the way of Zach LaVine and Tyus Jones receiving more action at the 1. Tayshaun Prince spending time on the court prevents Shabazz Muhammad from doing the same. Hell, even Kevin Martin's presence could hinder Andrew Wiggins and Muhammad. 

Fortunately, the Wolves have to know this. It's still a bit inexplicable that they felt as if rostering three aged locker room presences was truly necessary, but a slow start to the season will ensure that every young player receives a sufficient number of minutes. 

Wiggins should have no trouble receiving ample opportunities to assert himself as a star. Karl-Anthony Towns is the prospective starter at center, giving him a realistic shot at Rookie of the Year honors. And while the other high-upside players might start the year on the bench, they'll all get in the game soon enough.

New Orleans Pelicans

Layne Murdoch Jr./Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Jrue Holiday	Eric Gordon	Dante Cunningham	Anthony Davis	Omer Asik
Backups	Nate Robinson	Chris Douglas-Roberts	Quincy Pondexter	Ryan Anderson	Alexis Ajinca
	Norris Cole	Sean Kilpatrick	Alonzo Gee		Kendrick Perkins
		Bryce Dejean-Jones	Tyreke Evans
		Corey Webster	Luke Babbitt

Unfortunately, the New Orleans Pelicans have more depth-chart-related issues to talk about than they'd like.

The basic ones are positional battles at small forward and center. At the former, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and Alonzo Gee will all fight to earn significant minutes and start games, while Tyreke Evans is recovering from his recent arthroscopic surgery. At the latter, Alexis Ajinca will strive to overcome Omer Asik and prove that he's actually the better fit alongside Anthony Davis. 

But because the injury gods seemingly cursed the Pellies, other discussions are necessary. 

Jrue Holiday's playing time will be severely limited in 2015, opening the door for Nate Robinson and Norris Cole to carve out major roles. Though Robinson is listed as the primary backup right now, Cole played quite well after coming to the bayou last season. When Evans returns, he'll bury someone in the rotation, but that player can't be Pondexter, whose sharpshooting ability is sorely needed. 

Plus, Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis haven't exactly been models of perfect health in recent years, which means other changes could be coming as well.

New York Knicks

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Jose Calderon	Arron Afflalo	Carmelo Anthony	Kristaps Porzingis	Robin Lopez
Backups	Jerian Grant	Langston Galloway	Cleanthony Early	Derrick Williams	Kyle O'Quinn
		Sasha Vujacic	Lance Thomas		Kevin Seraphin
					Lou Amundson

There's no real reason for Jose Calderon to start at Jerian Grant's expense. 

Sure, the veteran is a great fit for a triangle offense because he can spot up and hit catch-and-shoot jumpers. But Grant is a core piece of this franchise's future, and he needs to be on the court as much as possible for a team that doesn't have any legitimate championship aspirations. 

As of now, that's the only true battle for a spot on the depth chart. Based on the position each other roster member is listed at, everything else is set in stone, though Kyle O'Quinn should be the first big off the bench even if he's filling in at power forward. 

And speaking of power forward, Carmelo Anthony sliding up to the 4 in a small-ball lineup could also have some interesting repercussions. There's no established backup at small forward, which means head coach Derek Fisher would either have to play Derrick Williams out of position or continue going small with Langston Galloway and Arron Afflalo occupying the two wing spots.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Russell Westbrook	Andre Roberson	Kevin Durant	Serge Ibaka	Enes Kanter
Backups	D.J. Augustin	Anthony Morrow	Kyle Singler	Nick Collison	Steven Adams
	Cameron Payne	Dion Waiters	Steve Novak	Mitch McGary	Dakari Johnson
			Josh Huestis

Oklahoma City Thunder fans, feel free to rejoice. 

Russell Westbrook is back in the driver's seat at point guard. Serge Ibaka will be returning to the court at power forward, ready to swat opponents' ill-advised shot attempts into oblivion. And best of all, Kevin Durant is lining up at the 3 again, now fully recovered from the Jones fracture that ended his 2014-15 campaign in premature fashion. 

But having the Big Three back in place doesn't mean the entire depth chart is fleshed out, and I'm not just referring to Cameron Payne's quest to overtake D.J. Augustin as Westbrook's primary replacement. 

New head coach Billy Donovan will have to make some tough decisions when choosing between Enes Kanter and Steven Adams. Both are capable of fitting in with the starting five, though for entirely different reasons. The former is an offensive specialist who could emerge as a strong pick-and-pop candidate, while the latter is a defensive ace who brings a certain level of intensity and toughness to the squad. 

And if that conundrum wasn't tough enough, the one at the 2 might be even tougher. 

"The Thunder feel ripe for a trade, but they've already dealt away two first-rounders; they can't trade another one," Grantland's Zach Lowe wrote while going over the five options OKC has at 2-guard and settling on exactly none of them.

Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, Dion Waiters and Kyle Singler are all limited options, and playing Westbrook at the 2 alongside Augustin or Payne might be too unconventional for a first-year NBA coach. But he'll have to choose something all the same.

Orlando Magic

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Elfrid Payton	Victor Oladipo	Aaron Gordon	Tobias Harris	Nikola Vucevic
Backups	C.J. Watson	Evan Fournier	Mario Hezonja	Channing Frye	Jason Smith
	Shabazz Napier	Devyn Marble		Andrew Nicholson
		Tyler Harvey		Dewayne Dedmon

For a roster featuring so many young pieces who haven't even begun to realize their full potential, the Orlando Magic's depth chart is awfully easy to pinpoint. 

The starting lineup is quite simple: Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic will all be on the floor when the referee throws up the ball at midcourt, though Gordon and Harris should basically be considered interchangeable at the two forward positions. Neither has a true position at this point, and it's not actually necessary they develop one so long as they're working together. 

Beyond that, the backups are pretty clear as well, unless Shabazz Napier breaks out as a sophomore or Andrew Nicholson and Dewayne Dedmon spend time playing the 5 at Jason Smith's expense.

Forming an identity is still key for this organization, but it'll be done by experimenting with playing styles under new head coach Scott Skiles. The depth chart should already be fairly solidified, considering the clear-cut hierarchy that exists at nearly every position. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Isaiah Canaan	Nik Stauskas	Robert Covington	Nerlens Noel	Jahlil Okafor
Backups	T.J. McConnell	Hollis Thompson	Jerami Grant	Richaun Holmes	Joel Embiid
	Tony Wroten	Scottie Wilbekin	JaKarr Sampson	Carl Landry	Patrick Beverley
	Kendall Marshall	J.P. Tokoto		Christian Wood
	Pierre Jackson	Jordan McRae		Luka Mitrovic

If the Orlando Magic's depth chart is obvious, the Philadelphia 76ers' is anything but. It's filled with nothing but question marks. 

Though Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor are entrenched as the starting big men, who are the primary backups? Without Joel Embiid in working order, there aren't any true 5s to spell Okafor, and his conditioning requires lengthy stretches on the bench at this early stage of his professional career. Are the Sixers really going to be content handing Carl Landry a large role when they already know exactly who he is? 

Can Nik Stauskas hold onto a starting job after flaming out horribly with the Sacramento Kings? Granted, this system should be much more geared toward his playing style, but there has to be a bit of apprehension after the Kings cut ties with a young player so quickly after spending a lottery pick on him. 

What in the world is the actual order of the five point guards still fighting for a job? T.J. McConnell has looked impressive during the preseason, but he doesn't have the same pedigree as any of the other four in contention for big minutes. 

Stay tuned for all the answers. We certainly don't have any right now.

Phoenix Suns

Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Eric Bledsoe	Brandon Knight	P.J. Tucker	Markieff Morris	Tyson Chandler
Backups	Ronnie Price	Sonny Weems	T.J. Warren	Mirza Teletovic	Alex Len
		Archie Goodwin		Jon Leuer
		Devin Booker		Cory Jefferson

The only real question here involves initials. 

We know that Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight will form a two-headed point guard nightmare in the backcourt, though the Phoenix Suns presumably hope that Archie Goodwin and Devin Booker will move past Sonny Weems in the depth chart. We know that Markieff Morris, Tyson Chandler, Mirza Teletovic and Alex Len are the four bigs who will receive the most significant run. 

But at small forward, Anthony Leon "P.J." Tucker Jr.* and Anthony "T.J." Warren Jr. will engage in a battle royale. 

"For me, it's not a competition," Tucker told Matt Petersen of NBA.com during the preseason. "We're two totally different players. He's my young boy. For me, I just like to see him getting better and keep working toward being a really good player in this league."

He's both wrong and right. 

Tucker and Warren are totally different players. The former is a defensive asset who can light it up from beyond the arc, while the latter is an ultra-creative offensive player who has to be inside the three-point stripe in order to score with any sort of efficiency. For those reasons, they should form an ideal rotation. 

However, this is still a competition. One is going to play more minutes than the other. One is going to be a starter, while the other is designated as a member of the second unit. 

And chances are, the answer to the question of which will vacillate through the season until one pulls firmly ahead. 

*Per SB Nation Arizona's Kristofer Habbas, "The P.J. comes from his father who was an aspiring baseball player who nearly made it to the major leagues. His father's nickname; Pops because of the sound the ball made jumping off his bat, hence "Pops Junior" or P.J. for short became the new name for Anthony Leon Tucker."

Portland Trail Blazers

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Damian Lillard	C.J. McCollum	Al-Farouq Aminu	Meyers Leonard	Mason Plumlee
Backups	Tim Frazier	Gerald Henderson	Moe Harkless	Noah Vonleh	Ed Davis
	Phil Pressey	Allen Crabbe	Luis Montero	Cliff Alexander	Chris Kaman
		Pat Connaughton
		Daniel Diez

"What's up with the frontcourt?" Bleacher Report's Dan Favale asked in his season preview of the Portland Trail Blazers before providing us with an answer:

"

Meyers Leonard, Chris Kaman, [Ed] Davis and [Mason] Plumlee all need to see time at the 5. Leonard is the only one of those four who can play power forward, but that's where [Noah] Vonleh is best suited. [Al-Farouq] Aminu's performance at power forward is also statistically superior to his efforts at small forward, according to 82games.com.

"

Right now, you can take Meyers Leonard, Mason Plumlee, Noah Vonleh and Ed Davis' names, throw them into a hat and pick two slips of paper. Whichever of the 12 possible results you draw, that's a capable starting lineup, though it'll likely require someone attempting to get by out of position at the 4. And that's before Al-Farouq Aminu is submitted for consideration in small-ball lineups. 

Rip City is a rebuilding amalgamation of talent right now, and it'll take some excellent work from head coach Terry Stotts to figure out a starting five that actually plays well together and can last throughout the entire season. Chances are, this Blazers team will end up among the league leaders in the unofficial "most lineups used during the 2015-16 campaign" category.

That's especially true if C.J. McCollum regresses after his stellar preseason efforts and falls behind Gerald Henderson in the depth chart, or Pat Connaughton and/or Moe Harkless burst onto the scene and move past Aminu. 

What I'm trying to say is: Only Damian Lillard is a true lock.

Sacramento Kings

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Rajon Rondo	Ben McLemore	Rudy Gay	DeMarcus Cousins	Kosta Koufos
Backups	Darren Collison	Marco Belinelli	Omri Casspi	Quincy Acy	Willie Cauley-Stein
		James Anderson	Caron Butler	Eric Moreland	Arturas Gudaitis
		Seth Curry

DeMarcus Cousins isn't a power forward. He's quite obviously a center, but he might be forced to shift down a position in the lineup in order to maximize the level of talent in the Sacramento Kings' starting lineup. 

With him and Kosta Koufos patrolling the paint, head coach George Karl will have an intriguing blend of offense and defense at his disposal. Of course, that would also be true if Cousins stayed at his natural position and Willie Cauley-Stein got the starting nod. It all depends on how ready the younger Kentucky product is at the start of his rookie season. 

But the other questions emerge from the backcourt. 

Rajon Rondo hasn't looked like vintage Rajon Rondo for quite some time, and the Kings can't be afraid to pull the plug on that experiment if it isn't going well. Benching the former All-Star for Darren Collison might be a controversial move, but it could be the correct one—especially because Collison's skill set and lesser need for ball dominance actually makes him the better fit next to the rest of the Kings' starting five. 

Figuring out the 2-guard rotation will be important as well, since Marco Belinelli's readiness could supersede Ben McLemore's potential before too long. A lot depends on how the Kings open their 2015-16 campaign, because a hot start would dictate more minutes for NBA-ready players. 

San Antonio Spurs

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Tony Parker	Danny Green	Kawhi Leonard	LaMarcus Aldridge	Tim Duncan
Backups	Patty Mills	Manu Ginobili	Kyle Anderson	David West	Matt Bonner
	Ray McCallum	Reggie Williams		Boris Diaw	Boban Marjanovic
					Cady Lalanne

If you think the starting lineup here isn't set in stone, you're off your rocker. Fortunately, I'm not actually insulting anyone, because there probably isn't a single person in the world who thinks Manu Ginobili is anything but a sixth man or David West should open games instead of LaMarcus Aldridge. 

There really aren't any question marks here, because the incumbents all know their exact roles, and the new additions fit into the depth chart quite easily. 

But there is a potential problem, so that's what we'll focus on. 

Right now, Kyle Anderson is the only legitimate small forward on the roster other than Kawhi Leonard. And that means if the reigning Defensive Player of the Year needs a breather or—knock on wood—gets injured, the Spurs are left in a position where they play Anderson or have to get unorthodox.

Can Boris Diaw play the 3 for extended minutes? Will the San Antonio Spurs survive with Danny Green and Ginobili at the wings? Will they trust Reggie Williams? 

It's not San Antonio's style to make any major trades in the middle of the season, but don't be surprised if they spring for a backup small forward at some point. A player of Alan Anderson's caliber would be absolutely perfect.

Toronto Raptors

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Kyle Lowry	DeMar DeRozan	DeMarre Carroll	Patrick Patterson	Jonas Valanciunas
Backups	Cory Joseph	Terrence Ross	James Johnson	Luis Scola	Bismack Biyombo
	Delon Wright	Norman Powell	Bruno Caboclo	Anthony Bennett	Lucas Nogueira
			Ronald Roberts Jr.

Does Anthony Bennett have a shot to mess with this Toronto Raptors' rotation? Probably not, seeing as head coach Dwane Casey was clearly deciding between Patrick Patterson and Luis Scola as the starting power forward before his team's second-to-last preseason game. 

"We're getting closer to it [a decision], we're getting a good feel for it," Casey told TheStar.com's Doug Smith. "Again, it's not one guy winning the job over another it's one guy that fits as well as the other. Both guys are excellent at what they do—Pat as a three-point shooter, Scola as a passer, a reader, mid-range guy."

Patterson is probably the better choice because of the need for spacing alongside the paint-bound Jonas Valanciunas and DeMar DeRozan's limited shooting range. But even if Scola does work his way into the lineup, it'll be alongside the same quartet—Valanciunas, DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll and Kyle Lowry. 

Not much else is in flux here. The starters aren't just penciled in; their names might as well be written with a Sharpie.

Utah Jazz

Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	Trey Burke	Alec Burks	Gordon Hayward	Derrick Favors	Rudy Gobert
Backups	Raul Neto	Rodney Hood	Elijah Millsap	Trevor Booker	Tibor Pleiss
	Dante Exum	Joe Ingles		Trey Lyles	Jeff Withey
		Chris Johnson

With Dante Exum lost for the season to a torn ACL, the Utah Jazz are stuck between a rock and a hard place at point guard. Though Gordon Hayward's ball-handling ability will ease some of the pain, they still have to choose between the ineffective (Trey Burke) and the complete unknown (Raul Neto). 

Burke probably solidified his hold on the starting job with some fine preseason showings. He's averaged 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from beyond the arc, per Real GM. But given his awful history in the Association and the simple fact he hasn't gotten much bigger, faster or stronger, it's tough to bet on him sustaining such success.

The other competition is one the Jazz should feel great about, because Alec Burks and Rodney Hood are both 2-guards who belong in the starting lineup of a solid NBA squad. 

"At the end of the day, we all want to be the starter," Burks said before the start of preseason, per Fox Sports. "But it's coach Q's [Quin Snyder] decision. We're going to compete and push with each other on the floor. But we all have each other's backs."

Right now, Burks is probably the better option, given his ability to handle the ball and create for his teammates. While Hood has averaged 1.7 dimes during exhibition season, the projected starter is nearly doubling that with 3.1 assists per game.

Washington Wizards

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Starter	John Wall	Bradley Beal	Otto Porter	Nene	Marcin Gortat
Backups	Ramon Sessions	Gary Neal	Jared Dudley	Kris Humphries	DeJuan Blair
	Garrett Temple	Martell Webster	Alan Anderson	Drew Gooden
	Ish Smith		Kelly Oubre

Can Otto Porter hold off the challengers? 

John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene and Marcin Gortat are locked in as starters. Even most of the backups are etched in stone, though Drew Gooden could move past both Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair to serve as the first big off the bench.

But Porter is new to a featured role, and he'll need to stave off attempts for more playing time from Jared Dudley, Alan Anderson and Kelly Oubre. The first two can both shoot well enough to fit in nicely with the plodding frontcourt, and they'd benefit from more time alongside Wall. Oubre, on the other hand, is rather raw but brimming over with potential that should remind many of a young Paul George. 

Though this should be Porter's job to lose, it is actually possible that he loses it. 

Unlikely, but possible. 

All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com.

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter:@fromal09.