Never in the history of the NBA has the game been defined more than the “Big 3’s” of teams. In today’s NBA landscape, it seems that no team could possibly win the championship without at least having some type of Big 3 on their roster. Ever since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen teamed up with Paul Pierce in Boston to form their version of the Big 3, the NBA has seen its fair share of Big 3’s. LeBron James’ ruthless departure from his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami only cemented the importance of a team needing to have a Big 3 if they wanted any chance of winning. Here’s a look at the top five Big 3’s in the NBA for the upcoming 2017-2018 season.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams
While you can easily make the argument that Steven Adams is not a Big 3 caliber player, his ability to do the little and scrappy things to help his team win cannot be understated. The Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly gave up pennies on the dollar to acquire Paul George, instantly making him and Russell Westbrook one of the most formidable one-two punches in the NBA. George has already proven himself as a star in the league – elevating himself to superstar status will take a bit more work but should come easier given that he’s playing with Westbrook, last season’s MVP winner. Need I say more about Westbrook?
Houston Rockets – James Harden, Chris Paul, Clint Capela
Like Adams, Clint Capela is simply on this list due to the greatness of James Harden and Chris Paul – leaving these two players off this list would be an injustice. Capela has been a terrific contributor in Mike D’Antoni’s system and has thrived playing alongside Harden. Harden, after coming up just short in the MVP award voting last season, somehow got paired up with the Point God. Paul is one of the smartest, craftiest, and most efficient point guards in the league. Many could make the argument that he is still the best point guard in terms of efficiency and making his teammates around him better. We should be in for a treat this upcoming season – sit back and enjoy the Harden-Paul pairing.
Boston Celtics – Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford
After the Cavaliers essentially swapped Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas (what little choice they had), the Boston Celtics have the third most legitimate Big 3 combination in the league. Irving is easily a star in his own right and one of the most clutch players in the NBA today. Had it not been for “The Shot”, who knows if LeBron James would have hoisted his third NBA championship. Gordon Hayward came out of college into the NBA as a lanky kid but has transformed and chiseled his body, now an All-Star. Al Horford is one of the most consistent and dependable players in the NBA. The Celtics Big 3 is for real.
Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James, Kevin Love, Isaiah Thomas (??)
Basically, we swapped out Irving for Thomas in this year’s version of the Cavaliers’ Big 3 (assuming the trade goes through). However, whenever a team has James, you can almost guarantee that there’ll be some sort of Big 3 as well. Ever since James joined the Miami Heat, his teams have always been loaded with talent and this year is no different. However, with the loss of Irving, the Cavaliers appear to have slipped a bit. Irving was an integral part of the team and was often forced to carry the offense on nights when James didn’t have it. Kevin Love was an original part of the Cavaliers’ Big 3 and receiving Thomas in return for Irving doesn’t feel like that much of a trade-off. If you compare Thomas’ and Irving’s statistics, they begin to seem awfully similar. Thomas will also be relived of the burden to carry his own team and will undoubtedly benefit with the presence of James.
Golden State Warriors – Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson
Did you think we forgot about the Golden State Warriors? A case can easily be made that the Warriors have a legitimate Big 4 – just add in Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green. This team is one of the most stacked teams of all time and I’d be surprised if they didn’t repeat with another championship win. Heck, you could even make the argument that Andre Iguodala would constitute part of the Big 3 if he were playing for the Thunder or Rockets. The Warriors seemingly have no flaws; their Big 3 or Big 4 (whatever you want to call it) is the real deal; and they have three of the past four MVP awards in their locker room.
The 2017 NBA futures are out. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
