This is the World Cup ''Death Lineup''. Check the stats

MANILA (Philippines) - The original "Death Lineup" was popularized by the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals.

Warriors Coach and current USA head coach Steve Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala in the starting five next to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes. The efficiency of this small ball unit took the league by storm, earning them the lethal (and catchy) nickname.

Here at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, we have done the math in search of a similar kind of unit amongst the Semi-Finalists.
And we have found it.

We have gone through all the five-man lineups that have played at least 15 minutes together since the beginning of the World Cup among the Semi-Finals teams. Then we checked how many points they scored as a team, and how many points they conceded. From there, we made it more convenient by reporting each statistic on a per 40-minute basis - an entire game - for easier comparison.

Here's our most lethal lineup of the Semi-Finalists. Meet the Canadian version of the "Death Lineup":

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks, RJ Barrett and Dwight Powell.

Top 3 lineups (+/- per 40 minutes)

Lineup	Team	+/- per 40 minutes
Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Brooks, Barrett, Powell	CAN	49.6
Haliburton, Reaves, Ingram, Banchero, Portis Jr	USA	45.6
Brunson, Edwards, Bridges, Hart, Jackson Jr	USA	45.1

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks, RJ Barrett and Dwight Powell are on pace to outscore their opponents by nearly 50 points per 40 minutes, leading all qualified lineups heading into the Semi-Finals. In particular, this lineup was key to Canada's important victory against Spain in the Second Round.

The original "death lineup" of Golden State earned their reputation with immense firepower and defensive versatility. Likewise, these five players from Canada have combined high-octane offensive players, shooters, a brilliant playmaker and intense defenders.

For those who are curious, here are some other key lineups that have been wreaking havoc for the respective Semi-Finals teams.

Here are the top three lineups that are putting up the most points on the floor, led by Germany's high-scoring squad.

Top 3 offensive units (Points per 40 minutes)

Lineup	Team	Points scored per 40 minutes
Schroder, Obst, Voigtmann, F. Wagner, Theis	GER	107.3
Haliburton, Reaves, Ingram, Banchero, Portis Jr.	USA	107.0
Brunson, Edwards, Bridges, Hart,Jackson Jr.	USA	106.6

 

Here are the best defensive teams. The Canadian "Death Lineup" is highlighted here as the best defensive unit overall, which is where most of their damage is done. Consider Serbia forewarned heading into their Semi-Finals appointment.

Top 3 defensive units (Points per 40 minutes)

Lineup	Team	Points allowed per 40 minutes
Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Brooks, Barrett, Powell	CAN	51.9
Lo, Giffey, M. Wagner, Hollatz, Thiemann	GER	52.8
Haliburton, Reaves, Ingram, Banchero, Portis Jr	USA	61.4

 

Wrapping this analysis up, here are the most used lineups for all four Semi-Finalists.

Most used lineup for each Semi-Finalist (per 40 minutes)

Lineup	Team	Minutes played	+/-	Points Scored	Points Allowed
N. Jovic, Bogdanovic, Dobric, S. Jovic, Milutivoc	SRB	77.3	25.3	102.4	77.1
Schroder, Obst, Bonga, Voigtmann, Theis	GER	61.0	9.9	90.5	80.6
Gilgeous-Alexander, Brooks, Barrett, Powell, Olynyk,	CAN	59.3	37.1	99.9	62.8
Brunson, Edwards, Bridges, Hart, Jackson Jr.	USA	46.2	45.1	106.6	61.5

 

FIBA