APBRmetrics

For the teams making the second round of the playoffs, their top 3 lineups on minutes averaged about 106.5 on offensive efficiency and 100.7 on defense (minutes weighted) in the regular season. Their average on offense was 1.9 points better than league average of 104.6 while the defense was 3.9 points better.

The average lineup played a bit less than 300 minutes, though the range was from 986 minutes to 110. Overall their top 3 minute lineups represented less than 30% of the regular season minutes played. Probably considerably more in the playoffs.

About 60% of the players had 5+ years of experience. About 30% could be considered to have small ball centers, 40% if one counts Duncan as a small ball center. I believe about 55% of the lineup slots on the 24 lineups were filled with current or former All-Stars.

For the other 70% of their minutes, these top 8 teams' offensive efficiency is actually the tiniest amount better (probably facing weaker defenses), but also about 2 points less good on defense themselves.

In a league where probably 7,000 to 9,000+ lineups were used in the regular season, these are the 24 most important. There are a number of other things that could be done to understand and learn from them using boxscore stats, lineup vs lineup, APM, player typology and other approaches and of course using playoff data too.

Wonder how many NBA teams really study other team's lineups closely- design, performance, evolution, strengths and weaknesses in general and in specific match-up with them. I assume most could benefit from doing more, better. And convincing their coaches of the main insights of that work and of the importance of using that insight.