Triple Threat: A Countdown of the Best Trios in the NBA

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Before I start with my rankings, I just wanted to warn you all that this is a fairly long read and I am sorry for its length. I hope that you all will give it a read and comment on it anyways.

With that said, let's get into the rankings of the best trios in the NBA.

30. New York Knicks: Al Harrington, Wilson Chandler, and Nate Robinson

Al Harrington is a dangerous offensive player and coming off a 20 point per game season, but you have to question whether or not he truly is a winning player. He gets his points, but he doesn't really do anything to help his team win. He is a horrific defender, a poor rebounder, and has an absolutely terrible attitude.  

Nate Robinson has become a spark plug off of the bench for the New York Knicks, but his lack of size and point guard skills leave him as a limited player. He does not bring anything to the table aside from scoring and energy off of the bench though.

Wilson Chandler is one of the lone bright spots on the Knicks roster. He is an intriguing prospect and showed a lot of promise last season and with an increased role on the team he looks to take his game to the next level.

While there is no denying that the Knicks have a talented Big Three, the simple fact of the matter is that aside from Chandler, none of these players are conclusive to winning and seem to be content with nothing more than getting their own.

29. Sacramento Kings: Kevin Martin, Tyreke Evans, and Spencer Hawes

Kevin Martin has become one of the best scoring shooting guards in the NBA over the past few seasons and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. He is one of the best scorers in the game but does not give you much else aside from that scoring.

Tyreke Evans is a huge question mark heading into the season. He will most likely be given the starting point guard spot and look to lead the Kings. He is a dynamic athlete and has loads of potential but will he be able to step in immediately?

Spencer Hawes is a versatile big man that can step outside and hit the jumper. He is going to have to improve his defense and all-around game to be more than an average center, though.

The Sacramento Kings have some good young talent in Martin, Hawes, and Evans, but aside from Martin, none of them are proven players. How will these youngsters perform next season? That is up in the air.

28. Houston Rockets: Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza, and Luis Scola

The Rockets have been decimated by injuries. They are without Yao Ming for the entire season and who knows how long Tracy McGrady will be out for, or if he will ever become the player that he once was. So as a result of injuries to their star players, the Rockets are going to have to get some production elsewhere.

Aaron Brooks had a coming out party during last year's playoffs and showed that he can be a legit NBA point guard. He is lightening-quick and is very adapt at getting to the hoop. He is going to have to improve his decision-making and add more to his game to continue to stay effective though.

Ariza joins the Rockets from the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. He was a vital piece to the Lakers championship run and was a key contributor.

However, you can't help but wonder whether or not Ariza looked better than he truly was alongside great players like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. I guess time will tell.

Luis Scola is also going to have to take a more prominent role on the team and become a focal point on offense. He is one of the best role players in the game and a fantastic energy player, but can this role player step his game up and become a major contributor offensively?

Without Yao and T-Mac, this trio is looking a little wack.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Al Jefferson, Jonny Flynn, and Kevin Love

Al Jefferson is one of the best young big men in the game today. A fantastic offensive option down low and a great rebounder. He is a limited defender and passer, but he has all of the tools to be a multiple-time All-Star. A concern about Jefferson is how well will he bounce back from his season-ending knee injury last year?

Jonny Flynn is the most NBA-ready point guard that came out of this year's draft. He is an explosive athlete and a great leader on the floor. He is going to need to improve his jumper to keep the defense honest to get full use of his blazing speed. He my be small in stature, but this young point guard has a huge heart.

Kevin Love is a terrific rebounder and a fundamentally sound player. He doesn't have any particular area of his game that he stands out in aside from rebounding, but he is just an all-around smart player. He isn't an ideal compliment to Jefferson however, and didn't look great playing alongside Big Al last season so that is something to keep in mind.

The T'Wolves trio is full of potential, but aside from Jefferson, none of them have shown much more than just potential.

26. Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger, T.J. Ford, and Troy Murphy

Danny Granger had a breakthrough 2008-09 season in which he was named to the All-Star team for the first time and also won the NBA's Most Improved Player award. He is a dynamic offensive threat capable of going off at any time and showed last season that he is a viable number one option.

When T.J. Ford is focused in on playing team basketball, he can be a very lethal point guard with his incredible speed and playmaking ability. Sadly for Pacer fans, Ford tends to get caught up in individual battles too often and doesn't have the greatest of attitudes. When he is in the right mindset though, he is a good player and point guard.

Troy Murphy is one of the league's better rebounder and was among the league leaders in double-doubles last season. He is a smooth shooting big man that stretches the defense and has the potential to be a matchup nightmare. He doesn't give much aside from rebounding and shooting though, as he is a pretty poor defender.

Danny Granger is one of the NBA's bright young stars, but aside from Granger, this trio just doesn't shine.

25. Milwaukee Bucks: Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, and Brandon Jennings

Michael Redd has been hit hard by injuries over the last couple of years, but when Redd is on his game there are not many better pure scorers in the NBA. He is a lethal shooter and an all-around great scorer but he does not bring too much to the table. The biggest knock on Redd over the past few years has been his inability to stay on the court.

Andrew Bogut was taken with the first overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and has not developed into the player that the Bucks had originally hoped for him, but he is still a very good center. He is one of the best passing big men in the NBA and when given an opportunity, he has proven that he can be a viable offensive option.

Brandon Jennings is the brash and cocky rookie point guard that the Bucks are looking to lead them into the future. He has all of the physical tools and gifts in the world, but you have to question his mind frame. He is a very good player on the court, but his mouth may get him in trouble off of the court. You can't deny his talent though.

With Redd's injury problems and question marks surrounding Jennings, I simply can't put them any higher than 25 so here they are.

24. Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler, and Raymond Felton

Gerald Wallace is one of the most energetic players in the NBA and is the definition of a guy leaving it all on the floor. He may not be the most talented guy out there, but you know that he will give you 110 percent every time he steps on the floor. Sadly for Bobcat fans, this pedal-to-the-metal playing style often ends up with Wallace on the injured list.

Tyson Chandler is the newest member of the Bobcats and he brings them an ultra-athletic, long, defensive big man. He makes his living on the defensive end of the floor and is known as one of the premier defensive centers in the game. However, he is very limited offensively and without a point guard like Chris Paul spoon-feeding him easy baskets he is not going to give the Cats much offensively.

As of right now Felton is not technically a part of the Bobcats as he is still a restricted free agent, but I decided to include him anyway. Felton is a good floor general and a tough defender. He is not going to wow you with his play but he will go out there and give you a consistent effort night in and night out on both ends of the floor.

This trio is very potent defensively, but do they have the offensive firepower to warrant a higher ranking? Not in my mind, so they come in at 24.

23. New Jersey Nets: Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and Courtney Lee

Devin Harris broke out last season in his first full year with the Nets and made his first All-Star appearance. Without Vince Carter in the lineup, look for Harris to improve on his terrific season last year as he is the undisputed No. 1 offensive option and franchise player in New Jersey. He established himself as a top-10 point guard last season and is looking to make the jump to top-five this year.

Brook Lopez just may have been the steal of the 2008 NBA Draft. He was definitely the best big man selected and had a very good rookie campaign last year. He showed great skill down on the low block and with another year of experience under his belt, look for him to come into the season as a much improved player.

Being the Nets second best player and having an increased role on the team is only going to benefit him as well.

Courtney Lee was the centerpiece in the Vince Carter deal this past season, and he has the potential to become a very dangerous two-way player in the NBA. He was the Magic's best perimeter defender in their run to the Finals last season and proved that he is no slouch on the offensive end of the floor, either.

This trio may be young and somewhat unproven, but do not count out their abilities as they are very good players.

22. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green

Last season Kevin Durant gave us a glimpse into his future as an elite scorer. He absolutely tore it up after being moved to his natural position of small forward. He is already one of the NBA's elite scorers and will just get better as he gains more experience.

Durant is going to have to round out his game and become a better playmaker to take the next step though, but I fully expect him to do that.

Russell Westbrook is coming off of an impressive rookie season. He showed his surreal athleticism and versatile skill set. With a full season under his belt and being more accustomed to the league, look for his defense to become a staple of his game.

He is going to have to develop more point guard skills and play within himself more often to become a true point guard, though.

When Jeff Green was drafted he was predicted to be the Scottie Pippen to Kevin Durant's Michael Jordan and Green has the skill set to become a poor man's Pippen. He is a versatile forward with good playmaking instincts. With Durant missing some time last season he was able to showcase all of his talent and he looked good.

With another year of experience under his belt, look for him to come out guns blazing.

The only thing holding this trio back is experience, but they are undoubtedly going to be a force to be reckoned with within in the next couple of years.

21. Los Angeles Clippers: Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon

Baron Davis is coming off of an absolutely terrible season in which he shot 37 percent from the field and averaged 14.9 points per game, which is his lowest point output since his sophomore season. He clashed with his coach and played uninspired basketball for the entire season. Still, there is no denying this man's talent and when he is on his game physically and mentally, there aren't many better point guards.

Blake Griffin was the first pick in this year's draft and the Clippers showed their commitment to him by trading Zach Randolph and opening up the starting power forward spot for him. Many people believe that Griffin is possibly the most NBA-ready big man prospect to come into the league since Tim Duncan and he looks to be leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.

One of the lone bright spots for the Clippers last season was the play of Eric Gordon. He was a dynamic shooter and showcased all of his offensive abilities. With another year of experience on his belt, look for him to come out guns blazing and improve on his stellar rookie season.

If Davis focuses on the game and Griffin plays like he's expected to, this trio could very well deserve to be ranked higher.

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