The league as a whole has gained depth and star power, and due to that, teams have been doing the "Big 3 Strategy" more and more for the last decade. The Spurs have had great success with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili for the longest time (and still do). The Celtics made a huge splash when they acquired Garnett and Allen to join Pierce in Boston. Of course, the most well known "Big 3" quickly became Lebron, Wade, and Bosh four years ago. A lot of teams in the league are now trying to copy this trend.
So just for fun, we're picking a "Big 3" for every team in the league, and ranking them 1 - 30. These rankings are grouped into categories too, as there are similar situations across the NBA landscape. Let's check it out:
The "Incomplete"
30. Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, and ___________ - I'm not including Kevin Love in this exercise because he's sure to be dealt somewhere soon (likely Cleveland), and until he gets dealt, Minnesota is a team without an identity. In fact, the next year or two will tell us a lot about the direction they are headed... Exactly whom will they get for Love? Will they re-sign Rubio? Who will they take with their own draft picks and those they acquire?
29. Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, and Jeremy Lin? - Kobe would be a great piece to a "Big 3" that's trying to win now (assuming he's healthy). Randle would be a great piece to a "Big 3" that's trying to win down the road. But there are few other players (Boozer?) on the roster that could fit into either category. So I guess that leaves Jeremy Lin, as he'll at least be a star on some level... Linsanity in Hollywood!!!
28. Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green, and Avery Bradley OR Marcus Smart, James Young, and Jared Sullinger - Nobody knows if Boston is trying to build around Rondo to win now, or if they will build around Smart to win down the road. I'm utterly confused by the roster personally. Pick a direction!
The "Future"
27. Philadelphia 76ers: Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, and Joel Embiid - This is actually a pretty good core to build around, except Noel missed all of last season due to injury, and Embiid could do the same this year. Still a couple years away then I guess...
26. Orlando Magic: Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, and Aaron Gordon - This is one of the most athletic "Big 3's" already, with massive upside, particularly on defense. But they'll struggle to score consistently, and I still don't know what position Gordon will play.
25. Milwaukee Bucks: Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brandon Knight - I absolutely love what the Bucks have in Jabari and the "Greek Freak", but I'm not sold on Knight. The talent is there but not sure he has a position. So in the next year, look for the Bucks to upgrade that third future piece, or maybe Knight (or Henson or Sanders) will blossom even more under Jason Kidd's coaching.
24. Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke, and Dante Exum - Honestly I could have had Favors and/or Kanter in this threesome over the guards, but they aren't utilized as heavily in Utah as these perimeter players will be. Hayward just got his first big deal (max), Burke nearly won Rookie of the Year last season, and Exum is a top 5 pick that has as much upside as anyone. In Summer League, I watched Exum and Burke share the court, which is a good sign for Utah.
The "Misfits"
23. Detroit Pistons: Josh Smith, Andre Drummond, and Greg Monroe (assuming he re-signs) - These three big men are talented. In fact, they'd be ranked way higher on this list if I was simply ranking talent. But they don't mesh together well at all. Josh Smith isn't a good enough shooter to play the 3, but all three are good enough to demand seeing the floor. Something needs to give.
22. Phoenix Suns: Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe (assuming he re-signs), and Isaiah Thomas - All three players are extremely productive, but all three are point guards. It's one thing to play two of them together (as Phoenix did last year), but all three can't be on the court at the same time. Seems like they should have spread their money around better. Oh, and Eric Bledsoe needs to shed the injury bug.
The "Re-Shaped"
21. Denver Nuggets: Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson, and Aaron Afflalo - Denver continues to tweak the roster, this time bringing back Aaron Afflalo. He's a decent fit for a team with a ton of good players, but no great ones. It will be interesting to see if they keep the team constructed this way or make a splash by trading for a much needed star.
20. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Darren Collison - Collison is a downgrade from Isaiah Thomas in terms of scoring, but his defense, leadership, and team-centered approach will be refreshing to a "selfish" team. He'll also serve as a nice role model for the young backcourt players such as McCallum, McLemore, and Stauskas.
19. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, and Jose Calderon - By acquiring Calderon, the Knicks solved their problems at point guard in terms of leading a team offensively, but this is still a squad that can't play defense. Amare is also vastly overpaid which killed them in free agency this summer, and now Carmelo is overpaid too. There's always next summer...
18. New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and Omer Asik - Trading for Asik moves Davis back to power forward where he should thrive. That's big. But Jrue must stay healthy this season (as does Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson, etc) for the Pelicans to truly push for the playoffs.
The "Injury-Prone"
17. Brooklyn Nets: Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Brook Lopez - This is a highly paid group that rarely gets on the floor together. Last season, Lopez and Williams spent a lot of time in suits recovering from injury. That's not what the Nets paid for.
16. Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, and Al Horford - Injuries continue to slow down Horford's career. Most believe he could be a great player if he could put some consistent time on the court over a few seasons. If he can stay healthy this time around, Atlanta could be a fairly dangerous team in the East.
The "Up and Coming"
15. Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Jonas Valanciunas - Now that Lowry signed on for another stint, the Raptors immediate future seems pretty bright. They even surprised many by claiming the third seed last year in the East. Lowry and DeRozan were both All-Stars (or snubs) and Valanciunas essentially averaged a double-double. And they should only get better this year.
14. Washington Wizards: John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Marcin Gortat - Washington locked up their big man and kept the core of this team in place this summer. But their success will continually rest on the backcourt of Wall and Beal. They emerged as one of the most dangerous twosomes in the league last season, particularly with Beal's play towards the end. They complement each other perfectly.
13. Charlotte Hornets: Al Jefferson, Kemba Walker, and Lance Stephenson - By acquiring Stephenson from Indiana, Charlotte locked themselves into the playoffs for years to come. The scary thing is that all three of these guys continue to improve. Jefferson was dominant last season and Stephenson led the league in triple-doubles. Walker also thrived with better players around him, which continues even more now. MJ finally got some things right.
The "Good but not Great"
12. Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph - Gasol is turning into a star, Conley is currently playing at his peak, but Randolph is suddenly old and over the hill. Randolph lacks explosion and his he's not near as effective as he once was. With that said, this core still keeps Memphis in the playoffs year and year, even in a loaded Western Conference.
11. Indiana Pacers: Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert - This group churned out two All-Stars in 2014, including a starter in George, plus West is considered the heart and soul of Indiana. At one point last season, George was clearly in the MVP discussion, and Hibbert was the clear Defensive Player of the Year. Then, the last couples months of the season happened, along with the playoffs, and this group suddenly lost their luster.
The "Offensive Dynamo's"
10. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, and Chandler Parsons - This trio will score a ton of points this season. Despite Dirk's age, he can still get it done from any spot on the court. Ellis was surprisingly great in Dallas a year ago too. Parsons is the newbie, but he thrived playing alongside two stars in Houston. The question is can they defend? Not really, but that's why they also brought in Tyson Chandler.
9. Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and David Lee - The "Splash Brothers" are the best shooting duo in the league, and Lee is a double-double machine that finishes everything inside. I gave this trio the edge over Dallas though because they were a decent defensive unit a year ago. That goes a long way.
8. Houston Rockets: James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza - I'm stereotyping a bit here, as Howard and Ariza are both fine 2-way players, but James Harden is simply great for his offense only. To be blunt, he's atrocious on defense, which is one of the reasons Houston is terrible as a team on that side of the ball. The main issue with their lack of 'D' isn't regular season wins, but it's the fact they can't make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
The "Big 2's, Plus a Third Good Player"
7. Portland Trailblazers: LaMarcus Aldridge, Damion Lillard, and Nik Batum - Batum is a pretty good player, but he's only ranked this high on the list due to the greatness of Aldridge and Lillard. Those two are flat-out studs which is why Portland surprised the league last season and made it into the second round.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Andrew Wiggins - Wiggins could be good, he could be bad, but he'll likely be traded (very soon). But James and Irving are absolutely great and will thrive in Cleveland. If (or rather when) they pull off the trade for Kevin Love, I believe Cleveland would then own the best "Big 3" in the league.
The "Veterans"
5. Miami Heat: Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and Luol Deng - Yes, the Heat have a better big three than Lebron's new team... but not by much... and not for long. Wade is beginning his decline, and Bosh/Deng will likely be there in a few years. What I like about these guys though is that they are good on both ends.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili - My apologies this decade's first "Big 3", but they aren't the best anymore. They still are on the best team, but that team includes Leonard, Splitter, Diaw, Mills, Green, etc. Duncan and Ginobili can still get it done, but this is likely their last year. I'm even seeing a slight decline now in Parker's play. Good thing they have Coach Pop.
The "Elite"
3. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol - I'm a little hesitant ranking them this high because this will be Gasol's first season with the team. But he thrived with the Lakers in year one so I see the same happening here. I'm also hesitant with this ranking because I'm banking on a healthy Derrick Rose. But I'm reading reports out of Team USA camp, so I'm less worried now. Throw in the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and you got yourselves a great "Big 3."
2. Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan - Before last season, this was a "Big 2, Plus a Third Good Player." But Jordan emerged as a legit force in the post, especially on defense and on the glass. Griffin also took a huge step forward as an overall player, especially when CP3 was out on injury. Oh, and Chris Paul is still the best point guard in the league.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka - The top choice was actually simple as Durant was MVP, Westbrook remains a Top 10 player, and Ibaka suddenly is an All-Star caliber big man (especially with his new consistent jumper). But can they get enough from other people to finally win a championship in 2015? We'll find out this year!
By: The Sports Guys
