Best Big Threes in basketball right now

[JCSunsfan]

These are in no particular order. BTW, I said "Big Three" but I understand that the third player in some of these is marginal.

Book, Durant, Beal
Holiday, Tatum, Brown
Lillard, Giannis, Middleton
James, Davis, Russell
Jokic, Murray, Porter (Gordon?)
Butler, Bam, Herro

It seems that some of the better teams are more Big Two, with another two or three really good players. To me, our roster has three stars, but three fragile stars. We improved depth, but Nurkic is barely at NBA starter level and we don't even know yet if there is another forward on the roster worthy of starting. I am not quite as hyped about this year as others. I think Nurkic will start well, but we will see what he looks like in March. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[AzStevenCal]

These are in no particular order. BTW, I said "Big Three" but I understand that the third player in some of these is marginal.

Book, Durant, Beal
Holiday, Tatum, Brown
Lillard, Giannis, Middleton
James, Davis, Russell
Jokic, Murray, Porter (Gordon?)
Butler, Bam, Herro

It seems that some of the better teams are more Big Two, with another two or three really good players. To me, our roster has three stars, but three fragile stars. We improved depth, but Nurkic is barely at NBA starter level and we don't even know yet if there is another forward on the roster worthy of starting. I am not quite as hyped about this year as others. I think Nurkic will start well, but we will see what he looks like in March. Hope I'm wrong.

I'm hyped about the possibilities of this group but I'm not blind to the huge risks either. If we stay fairly healthy, if Durant is still a top 3 player, and if Vogel can turn them into a cohesive team, I love our chances of winning it all this season.

 

[Ronin]

I'm probably going to be proven wrong (happens all the time!) but I do not like Milwaukee' big three.

 

[Chaplin]

These are in no particular order. BTW, I said "Big Three" but I understand that the third player in some of these is marginal.

Book, Durant, Beal
Holiday, Tatum, Brown
Lillard, Giannis, Middleton
James, Davis, Russell
Jokic, Murray, Porter (Gordon?)
Butler, Bam, Herro

It seems that some of the better teams are more Big Two, with another two or three really good players. To me, our roster has three stars, but three fragile stars. We improved depth, but Nurkic is barely at NBA starter level and we don't even know yet if there is another forward on the roster worthy of starting. I am not quite as hyped about this year as others. I think Nurkic will start well, but we will see what he looks like in March. Hope I'm wrong.

I think when you think of the concept of a "Big 3," the list isn't as long as the one you posted. I wouldn't consider Milwaukee and Miami as having a true "big 3". Middleton did not have a good season last year and Herro isn't really a star, even though he's hyped as one. The Laker are on the edge as well, not sure DeAngelo Russell is a big star either. And it is yet to be seen if Reaves can be that 3rd star, although I think he is the same level as Herro.

I think the Suns, Boston and Denver can claim a true Big 3, even though in Denver it absolutely would be Gordon and not Porter.

 

[Proximo]

I'm probably going to be proven wrong (happens all the time!) but I do not like Milwaukee' big three.

Well, Middleton is coming off injury and has not been that great as of late, and Dame is a serious liability defensively - so yes they are flawed IMO. On the other hand the 2 man game between Dame and Giannis could be lethal.

I am actually much more scared of the Boston big 3. If Holiday can make Brown and Tatum more cohesive together by being the primary playmaker, instead of the two of them trading off on ISO's like they have been it makes them much more dangerous IMO.

 

[Proximo]

I think when you think of the concept of a "Big 3," the list isn't as long as the one you posted. I wouldn't consider Milwaukee and Miami as having a true "big 3". Middleton did not have a good season last year and Herro isn't really a star, even though he's hyped as one. The Laker are on the edge as well, not sure DeAngelo Russell is a big star either. And it is yet to be seen if Reaves can be that 3rd star, although I think he is the same level as Herro.

I think the Suns, Boston and Denver can claim a true Big 3, even though in Denver it absolutely would be Gordon and not Porter.

Reeves is absolutely their number 3 guy - quite frankly I would not be surprised at all if he becomes a more important player than Lebron for them this season.

 

[Chaplin]

Reeves is absolutely their number 3 guy - quite frankly I would not be surprised at all if he becomes a more important player than Lebron for them this season.

Wow, I already thought he was overrated, but this just seals the deal for me.

 

[BirdGangThing]

With our line up - and if Nurk can stay healthy - I can see him averaging 11 boards a game - throw in some quality defense and that's all we need from the big man

 

[AzStevenCal]

Well, Middleton is coming off injury and has not been that great as of late, and Dame is a serious liability defensively - so yes they are flawed IMO. On the other hand the 2 man game between Dame and Giannis could be lethal.

I am actually much more scared of the Boston big 3. If Holiday can make Brown and Tatum more cohesive together by being the primary playmaker, instead of the two of them trading off on ISO's like they have been it makes them much more dangerous IMO.

I don't have as much faith as others do with Jrue. I'm reading between the lines here but I've come to the conclusion that Giannis was disappointed in Holiday's commitment once they'd won the title. He's made several comments about needing to play with guys that were as dedicated to winning as he is and given how important Jrue had been to their championship, it seems odd that he'd be willing to see him dealt away if he wasn't one of the ones he was talking about.

Regardless of whether he was who Giannis was referring to, Jrue has a history of injuries and inconsistent play. I'm not convinced those issues disappear on a roster that already has cohesion and chemistry concerns.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

These are in no particular order. BTW, I said "Big Three" but I understand that the third player in some of these is marginal.

Book, Durant, Beal
Holiday, Tatum, Brown
Lillard, Giannis, Middleton
James, Davis, Russell
Jokic, Murray, Porter (Gordon?)
Butler, Bam, Herro

It seems that some of the better teams are more Big Two, with another two or three really good players. To me, our roster has three stars, but three fragile stars. We improved depth, but Nurkic is barely at NBA starter level and we don't even know yet if there is another forward on the roster worthy of starting. I am not quite as hyped about this year as others. I think Nurkic will start well, but we will see what he looks like in March. Hope I'm wrong.

I just don’t get calling a guy who averages 13/9/4 in 25 minutes “barely at nba starter level.” Seen it a few times (don’t know if it’s the same poster), but those numbers are better than the majority of centers the suns have rolled out there over their 50+ year existence.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I just don’t get calling a guy who averages 13/9/4 in 25 minutes “barely at nba starter level.” Seen it a few times (don’t know if it’s the same poster), but those numbers are better than the majority of centers the suns have rolled out there over their 50+ year existence.

Yes. Its me, but I didn't come up with it. It is a fairly commonly held view around the NBA. I would love to be wrong. Maybe Vogel can do something with him.

Ranked 19 here. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba...ngs-2022-23-starters/lztnsmu0t1voeubckyvfcvnj
PER ranks 32 among centers. https://insider.espn.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/position/c

The rest rank him in the 19-30 area.

Here is an evaluation that does not really seem to be biased. https://fadeawayworld.net/ranking-the-25-best-centers-for-the-2023-24-nba-season

For Portland, if they retain him, it is hard to admit that he isn't still valuable to the team. Their defense has been far better with him on the court than without him. However, it is time to stop expecting him to be something he isn’t. Nurkic is going to have nights where he looks absolutely awful and other nights where he looks outstanding. He is also guaranteed to miss some time due to injury and he is also going to struggle from even the easiest spots to convert on the court. He is, however, developing an outside shot and providing a new weapon with his offensive game that is improving Portland’s overall performance.

Nurkic seems to have a lot of the same flaws that DA had, except he is not as efficient and not as durable. He does have a better outside shot though. I really believe DA wanted out and this was the best they could get to accommodate him. The other players in the trade make it more palatable.

Pardon me please if I keep my expectations low.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yes. Its me, but I didn't come up with it. It is a fairly commonly held view around the NBA. I would love to be wrong. Maybe Vogel can do something with him.

Maybe we just aren't talking about the same thing here? If you're saying DA is also not an NBA starter level player, then maybe your description makes some sense. Or if you're saying every NBA center that isn't a star is barely an NBA starter, then that description makes sense. I'd disagree with either comparison but at least it would be consistent with the description you're using.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think when you think of the concept of a "Big 3," the list isn't as long as the one you posted. I wouldn't consider Milwaukee and Miami as having a true "big 3". Middleton did not have a good season last year and Herro isn't really a star, even though he's hyped as one. The Laker are on the edge as well, not sure DeAngelo Russell is a big star either. And it is yet to be seen if Reaves can be that 3rd star, although I think he is the same level as Herro.

I think the Suns, Boston and Denver can claim a true Big 3, even though in Denver it absolutely would be Gordon and not Porter.

That is why I included that disclaimer about the third players in some being marginal.

 

[Phrazbit]

These are in no particular order. BTW, I said "Big Three" but I understand that the third player in some of these is marginal.

Book, Durant, Beal
Holiday, Tatum, Brown
Lillard, Giannis, Middleton
James, Davis, Russell
Jokic, Murray, Porter (Gordon?)
Butler, Bam, Herro

It seems that some of the better teams are more Big Two, with another two or three really good players. To me, our roster has three stars, but three fragile stars. We improved depth, but Nurkic is barely at NBA starter level and we don't even know yet if there is another forward on the roster worthy of starting. I am not quite as hyped about this year as others. I think Nurkic will start well, but we will see what he looks like in March. Hope I'm wrong.

Miami was better after Herro got hurt. They moved the ball more and played better defense, I think they're going to end up trading him. Also, I think Gordon is significantly better and more important than Porter.

I think Boston, Denver and Milwaukee are still favorites over us.

Health is the obvious red flag, also Beal... was his decline over the last 2 years real or what it a by product of some injuries and playing on a bad team? I hope the media's assumption that he is going to play point for us is incorrect. I hope Booker is our primary guy bringing the ball up, he likes to push the pace in transition and I think is generally a better facilitator. We don't need Beal to drop 30 a game though, and I hope he doesn't try, we need him to be what Ray Allen was for Boston. If he plays off the ball he should get a ton of spot up shooting chances, hopefully raising his 3 point shooting back to what it was earlier in his career.

 

[Proximo]

Wow, I already thought he was overrated, but this just seals the deal for me.

Nah, I just don't think you understand how low of an opinion I have of Lebron.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Miami was better after Herro got hurt. They moved the ball more and played better defense, I think they're going to end up trading him. Also, I think Gordon is significantly better and more important than Porter.

I think Boston, Denver and Milwaukee are still favorites over us.

Health is the obvious red flag, also Beal... was his decline over the last 2 years real or what it a by product of some injuries and playing on a bad team? I hope the media's assumption that he is going to play point for us is incorrect. I hope Booker is our primary guy bringing the ball up, he likes to push the pace in transition and I think is generally a better facilitator. We don't need Beal to drop 30 a game though, and I hope he doesn't try, we need him to be what Ray Allen was for Boston. If he plays off the ball he should get a ton of spot up shooting chances, hopefully raising his 3 point shooting back to what it was earlier in his career.

Grayson Allen is a pretty good ball-handler. I think he could initiate the offense with the second crew.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Grayson Allen is a pretty good ball-handler. I think he could initiate the offense with the second crew.

It's interesting, with the addition of Allen and Little as well as a serviceable big replacement in Nurkic this is essentially what most people were calling for early in the offseason in an Ayton trade. Allen is a legit fringe starter/good bench player and Little is kind of similar to Okogie in that he will give us another guy that plays with a lot of energy and defensive versatility.

 

[JCSunsfan]

It's interesting, with the addition of Allen and Little as well as a serviceable big replacement in Nurkic this is essentially what most people were calling for early in the offseason in an Ayton trade. Allen is a legit fringe starter/good bench player and Little is kind of similar to Okogie in that he will give us another guy that plays with a lot of energy and defensive versatility.

Actually Allen, Little, and Watanabe all three play with Okogie type of intensity.

I think Yuta has an outside chance at that 5th starter position because of his size, constant motion, defensive intensity, shooting, and most of all his chemistry with KD.

 

[clyde2tw]

One reason we lost to Denver in 6 was KD was held less effective by Gordon's single cover. We didn't have much effective switches to free KD from Gordon and relied on KD's 1-on-1 ability but not as successful as earlier in his career. Book was absolutely monster, the best scorer after MJ and Kobe, until Jeff Green viciously attacked him mid in the air. So, with more team playing time together and another scorer in Beal, we truly believe our big-3 would be the most effective.

 

[Phrazbit]

Grayson Allen is a pretty good ball-handler. I think he could initiate the offense with the second crew.

Allen's assist rate is very low for a guard, he also gets virtually all his outside shots from other players assisting him. He is not much of a ball handler.

 

[clyde2tw]

Actually Allen, Little, and Watanabe all three play with Okogie type of intensity.

I think Yuta has an outside chance at that 5th starter position because of his size, constant motion, defensive intensity, shooting, and most of all his chemistry with KD.

They may all be willing to play with intensity, but I doubt anyone can match Okogie's defensive savvy. Besides, reports say Little's defense is suspect. Anyway, Okogie needs to start to take on the best 1-3 players defensively, to give our big-3 some early relief on defense. We have enough scoring power with the other starters already.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Actually Allen, Little, and Watanabe all three play with Okogie type of intensity.

I think Yuta has an outside chance at that 5th starter position because of his size, constant motion, defensive intensity, shooting, and most of all his chemistry with KD.

I agree with Yuta, but I was specifically talking about the players we got in the Ayton trade.

 

[nashman]

These are in no particular order. BTW, I said "Big Three" but I understand that the third player in some of these is marginal.

Book, Durant, Beal
Holiday, Tatum, Brown
Lillard, Giannis, Middleton
James, Davis, Russell
Jokic, Murray, Porter (Gordon?)
Butler, Bam, Herro

It seems that some of the better teams are more Big Two, with another two or three really good players. To me, our roster has three stars, but three fragile stars. We improved depth, but Nurkic is barely at NBA starter level and we don't even know yet if there is another forward on the roster worthy of starting. I am not quite as hyped about this year as others. I think Nurkic will start well, but we will see what he looks like in March. Hope I'm wrong.

Since when is Booker a fragile star? Really?

 

[Hoop Head]

I don't have as much faith as others do with Jrue. I'm reading between the lines here but I've come to the conclusion that Giannis was disappointed in Holiday's commitment once they'd won the title. He's made several comments about needing to play with guys that were as dedicated to winning as he is and given how important Jrue had been to their championship, it seems odd that he'd be willing to see him dealt away if he wasn't one of the ones he was talking about.

Regardless of whether he was who Giannis was referring to, Jrue has a history of injuries and inconsistent play. I'm not convinced those issues disappear on a roster that already has cohesion and chemistry concerns.

All reports on the matter said Giannis was not consulted prior to the Dame deal. The front office didn't want him potentially squashing it or alerting Holiday, which would give him a chance to make waves, due to Giannis' loyalty towards his teammates. Never heard an issue with Jrue. I think there might be something there with Middleton as he's not who he was 2-3 years ago and is talking max extension, which the Bucks would be dumb to give him.

Maybe Holiday has fallen off some but I think Dame was a clear upgrade and whenever you can add a top 10 player to pair with a top 3 player, you do it. That's sort of like what the Suns did acquiring KD. We had a good team and a top 10 player but if you can add Kevin Durant while retaining Devin Booker? You do damn near anything to create that duo.

I like the Giannis/Dame duo more than Booker/KD but I think KD & Booker are the second best tandem in the league now. The Bucks have the best and they still have quality players to surround them. Whether it works, who knows, but they needed to shake things up after getting ousted in round 1 by an 8 seed.

 

[Raindog]

I think Boston is more of a big two plus two very goods (Holiday, Porzingis).

Milwaukee is more of a big two plus a question mark three.

Denver is still mostly a one man show, in my opinion, with some pretty good complementary pieces.

The Lakers are a big two (that may not have much left in the tank), and nobody else close to being a three.

Miami is just a good team with good coaching. The analogy doesn't even apply.

Really, we are the only ones with a big three. Our question mark is really just how much of anything else do we have.