With the following article on the Handle Magazine website, i wanted to get every1's opinions about the greatest Trio's in NBA history.
TOP NBA TRIOS
“First, it was about great teams: the ‘60s Celtics; the ‘80s Lakers, Celtics, Sixers and Pistons. Then, great duos: Jordan and Pippen; Olajuwon and Drexler; Kemp and Payton; Stockton and Malone; Duncan and Robinson; Shaq and Kobe. Now, it's trios.†– Chris Broussard, ESPN.com.
In the year since the Boston Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge managed to land All Stars Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, every other front office has been scrambling to construct a trio of its own – with the Houston Rockets’ signing of Ron Artest sitting front and centre. The Big Three is the NBA’s newest blue print for success, and handle has decided to rank the trifectas of all 30 squads suiting up this season.
GO ALL IN: THE TRIPLE ACES
001 // BOSTON CELTICS // Ray Allen / Kevin Garnett / Paul Pierce
The current chip holders, three first ballot Hall of Famers – ‘nuff said.
002 // HOUSTON ROCKETS // Ron Artest / Tracy McGrady / Yao Ming
No other team boasts the intimidation of the Houston Rockets: with Yao Ming inside, Tracy McGrady schooling guards and Ron Artest policing the floor, the team is an instant contender and anything less than a finals appearance will be a disappointment.
003 // LOS ANGELES LAKERS // Kobe Bryant / Pau Gasol / Lamar Odom
Many may argue that Andrew Bynum’s exclusion is an oversight, but this crew very nearly won the chip without the young big man. An MVP plus any two players should be a contender, and when those two are as versatile as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, the sky’s the limit.
004 // DETROIT PISTONS // Chauncey Billups / Richard Hamilton / Tayshaun Prince
This could easily be the Fantastic Four with the inclusion of All Star Rasheed Wallace, but with just its top three, the Pistons rank fourth – the perfect position to finish second in the East en route to the team’s seventh consecutive Eastern Conference Finals.
005 // SAN ANTONIO SPURS // Tim Duncan / Manu Ginobili / Tony Parker
The Robot, The Argentine and The Man who Bagged Eva Longoria add up to something special; few threesomes are as effective as this group and, while the team may appear to be slowing, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker remain an all-court threat. Never sleep on the Spurs.
006 // New Orleans HORNETS // Chris Paul / Tyson Chandler / David West
The game’s best point guard plays with the fourth most versatile power forward in the NBA and its third best lob finisher, and they all play defence and they all like one another. That makes the team a NO doubt contender.
007 // UTAH JAZZ // Carlos Boozer / Andrei Kirilenko / Deron Williams
This three piece band sounds as sweet as any in the L, with the second best point guard going, the third most versatile power forward and perimeter defender locking together like Lego. Utah is as good as anyone in the Wild West, and there are three reasons for that.
008 // WASHINGTON WIZARDS // Gilbert Arenas / Caron Butler / Antawn Jamison
All three can fill it up in a hurry and both Butler and Jamison remain underrated despite their All Star status. Blog all you want about Gilbert Arenas, but this triple is amongst the best going.
009 // Phoenix SUNS // Steve Nash / Shaquille O’Neal / Amare Stoudemire
This ménage a trois has proven itself worthy when their efforts combine and, should former MVPs Steve Nash and Shaquille O’Neal step it up, they may just accept Amare Stoudemire into their exclusive club before the you-know-what sets on Phoenix.
010 // DALLAS MAVERICKS // Josh Howard / Jason Kidd / Dirk Nowitzki
This three-headed beast is as fragile as the one in the Valley of the Sun, with similar injury and age concerns. Josh Howard can score and lock down his man and there’s no one in the league who can fully match up against Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Kidd. Dallas has this season or bust, and Cuban has gone all in – it’ll be interesting to see how the other teams match his bet.
HOLD ONTO THIS HAND: THREE OF A KIND
011 // Orlando Magic // Dwight Howard / Rashard Lewis / Hedo Turkoglu
Dwight “Superman†Howard will get his 20 points and league topping rebounds, so it will be up to his outside assassin, Hedo Turkoglu, and big money gunner Rashard Lewis to put it all together for Stan Van Gundy. For now, the team sits in the second tier, but should this season prove a growth year, Jor-EL just might carry it to Krypton and back.
012 // Philadelphia 76ERS // Elton Brand / Andre Iguodala / Andre Miller
This Philadelphia experiment will work for three reasons: Elton Brand is an unquestionable low block force who plays both ends; Andre Iguodala is the ultimate complementary swingman who can play both ends; and Andre Miller is a true old school playmaking point guard who plays both ends. Did we mention that all three can play both ends?
013 // MIAMI HEAT // Michael Beasley / Shawn Marion / Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade spent most of the northern summer looking like himself, version 2006, and Shawn Marion is as effective as any player in the L without the ball, which is good, because Wade and new gunner Michael Beasley will probably demand a lot of it.
014 // ATLANTA HAWKS // Mike Bibby / Joe Johnson / Josh Smith
Like Los Angeles and Detroit, the Hawks side is really more of a big four than a big three with young big man Al Horford in the fold. Still, with the top trio of Mike Bibby running the show, Joe Johnson filling it up and Josh Smith cleaning it up, Atlanta is quick, dynamic and have nothing but an upside.
015 // CLEVELAND CAVALIERS // Zydrunas Ilgauskas / LeBron James / Maurice Williams
Everybody knows that LeBron James could occupy all three slots himself, but Maurice Williams offers a nice offensive counter punch and so does big Zydrunas Ilgauskas inside. Alternate big man Ben Wallace would have been a lock for this list three seasons ago but, as it stands, Cleveland is basically King James and whichever two sidekicks he decides to drag along.
016 // MILWAUKEE BUCKS // Andrew Bogut / Richard Jefferson / Michael Redd
Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd are fresh off of successful Olympic campaigns, and Richard Jefferson has proven that he can get it done with selfish scorers in the past; even better, new coach Scott Skiles likes to play tough D. If he can get anything better than “matador†out of Redd, this team could be tough.
017 // DENVER NUGGETS // Carmelo Anthony / Allen Iverson / JR Smith
Throw a washing machine in with Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson and it’s a trio to be reckoned with. And, as that is exactly what Denver got for inside monster Marcus Camby, it’s all of a sudden a toss up between Kenyon Martin and JR Smith as to who takes third wheel.
018 // PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS // LaMarcus Aldridge / Greg Oden / Brandon Roy
Any number of Portland players could have been included here – Martell Webster is improving, Travis Outlaw is a stud, Jerryd Bayless is exceptional and Jarret Jack is legit – but this big three from the Baby Blazers has the best chance this coming season, and the best chance to move up this list.
019 // LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS // Baron Davis / Marcus Camby / Chris Kaman
Name one other team that lost its franchise guy – Elton Brand – and immediately improved (LA signed Baron Davis and stole Marcus Camby)? Chris Kaman cleans glass and isn’t afraid of the dirty work, while Camby is a triple double threat with points, boards and blocks every night and Davis is an All Star who remains one of the most unguardable players of his generation.
020 // TORONTO RAPTORS // Chris Bosh / Jose Calderon / Jermaine O’Neal
At best, this power three will all be invited to participate in Phoenix come February; at worst, Bosh takes too many threes, O’Neal is hurt (again) and Calderon is exposed over the 35 minutes he plays each game. This may be the most unpredictable trio on the list: it could be unstoppable but it could also be an incoherent mess.
TIME TO FOLD: THREE OFF SUIT
021 // CHICAGO BULLS // Luol Deng / Ben Gordon / Derrick Rose
Despite drafting college stud Derrick Rose, this team remains a mess. Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes and Derrick Rose all have to share the ball, minutes, groupies and it’s hard to see that happening.
022 // GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS // Monta Ellis / Al Harrington / Stephen Jackson
It’s not that the Warriors’ big three is all that bad, it’s just collectively they’re not that dangerous without Baron Davis – Corey Maggette is no substitute. On any given day this trio could drop 70 points, but if shots aren’t falling, Golden State might just stink, especially as Monta Ellis will likely be missing much of the early season. Stephen Jack should, and may yet, be an All Star, Ellis is as good as any young guard in the NBA and Al Harrington has been busy doing his thing for years. Together, the three are good, but not great.
023 // MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES // Mike Miller / Al Jefferson / Ryan Gomes
No disrespect to Mike Miller, Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes – all three are borderline All Stars in the right year – but this team strikes no fear in the hearts of its opponents and other potential inclusions (Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Kevin Love, Sebastian Telfair) hardly improve that outlook.
024 // CHARLOTTE BOBCATS // Raymond Felton / Emeka Okafor / Gerald Wallace
Another poor man’s Fantastic Four (see Detroit, Atlanta, LA); Jason Richardson’s name should be mentioned as he narrowly missed the cut. Raymond Felton can dish with the best of them and remains the unsung hero of the surprisingly deep 2005 draft class, Emeka Okafor can defend anyone in the post and Gerald Wallace is an intangibles guy who seemingly became the franchise guy only to shy away from the on court responsibility. This is a formidable team but not yet a menacing one.
025 // NEW YORK KNICKS // Jamal Crawford / Stephon Marbury / Zach Randolph
On paper, this could be a top 10 trio. In reality, it’s lucky to be ranked 25. Individually, the Big Apple’s big three is dominating; together, the three men are like three day old New York Cheesecake.
026 // MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES // Mike Conley / Rudy Gay / OJ Mayo
This group has tremendous upside, and may in fact land in the top ten within the next couple of years. Rudy Gay is as talented as anyone in the NBA and is starting to consistently put it together, OJ Mayo was born to play NBA basketball and Mike Conley can run a team like few his age. If they can grow up together, the Grizz will be a team to be reckoned with.
027 // INDIANA PACERS // Mike Dunleavy / TJ Ford / Danny Granger
TJ Ford looks like he’ll run the show at a speed Indiana isn’t used to while Dunleavy will spend another season trying to justify his over blown contract and Granger will shine on a team not going anywhere. All three can score, but there isn’t much D to be played in Hoosier country, which could spell a tough year for Pacers’ fans.
028 // SACRAMENTO KINGS // Kevin Martin / Brad Miller / Francisco Garcia
Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin look like they’ll only get better, and Brad Miller will always make his shots and collect his boards, but none of the three look likely to become the face of the Kings in a post Ron Artest and Mike Bibby world. Garcia could become a great second option, and his form last season was positive, and Martin continues to amaze with his unorthodox style, but we’re not convinced yet.
029 // OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER // Kevin Durant / Jeff Green / Russell Westbrook
Desmond Mason, Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison are all terrific NBA vets, but the three guys who will make or break the Thunder during its inaugural season in Oklahoma City is reigning Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant, do-it-all swingman Jeff Green and the fine looking rookie Russell Westbrook. Still, all three are young, untested and – surely – looking at a season full of Ls.
030 // NEW JERSEY NETS // Vince Carter / Devin Harris / Yi Jialian
What’s that smell!? Already one foot in Brooklyn, New Jersey is hard at work making room for LeBron James (or Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh); never mind that Vince Carter is capable of dropping 30 plus points on any given night. Devin Harris is a nice player and Yi Jianlian, well, could be, but New Jersey doesn’t have much else going for it.
