R.C. Buford has made his stamp on the NBA in a unique way to say the least - he abolished the popular championship formula of pairing two Hall of Fame talents together in favor of the trio - three great (sometimes superstar) players who may not have the same historical value and star power as some duos, but get the job done none the less. After decades upon decades of professional basketball (80s Celtics aside), a general manager finally figured out that three players might work better than two. Pessimists of the trio theory on the other hand will be quick to point out the success of Jordan and Pippen in the 90s. And to that I say... well, nothing. Here we go:
30. New York Knicks (Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry)
To take a page out of instant messaging's book: L-O-L. This trio wins the award for the most dysfunctional group of talent on the face of planet earth. Supreme ball handler Jamal Crawford has all the tools to be a premier slasher with a nice mid-range game, but instead he opts to throw up over 6 threes per game and convert on just 2 of them. Remember draft night in 2007? Here's a flashback: Knicks fans going crazy with hopes of the post-season after they swung a deal for Zach Randolph. One full season removed from that hyped deal and we're left with a Knicks team that's almost as much a laughing stock as the team under Larry Brown. As for Eddy Curry, he's working hard this off-season to cut his Big Mac intake from a daily 6 all the way down to 3. I'm not buying it.
29. Seattle SuperSonics (Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox)
If Russell Westbrook makes a successful adjustment from the college game to the pros, I'll have no problem kicking Chris Wilcox to the curb. Unfortunately for Sonics fans, a talent like Westbrook is extremely hit or miss - he's not a pure point guard, he's under sized and he's too skinny to play the 2-guard spot consistently. Kevin Durant is going to set the league on fire sooner than you think.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay)
In a draft day bonanza, the Grizzlies shipped the guy many thought they'd keep (Love) in exchange for super scorer O.J. Mayo. Shipping away Mike Miller only further guarantees that Mayo will come in and start the season at the shooting guard position alongside Gay, whose occupying the other wing. 'Run GMC' will be fun to watch, you can bet on that, but don't you dare bet on them to win games.
27. Indiana Pacers (T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger)
This is more of a duo with whom I added Mike Dunleavy due to a lack of better options. Ford could blossom into the all-star point guard he was supposed to be on Toronto, or he can cost the team his salary in medical expenses. Danny Granger's a nice fantasy talent who I wouldn't trust to carry a team and Mike Dunleavy is, well, Mike Dunleavy. Yikes.
26. Sacramento Kings (Beno Udrih, Kevin Martin, Brad Miller)
John Salmons and Francisco Garcia looked enticing but until the Kings decide who's getting the minutes at SF, I'll stick Udrih in their group of 3. Kevin Martin is one of the best offensive players in the league - that we know - but he's yet to prove he can carry a team (and his team has yet to prove that they can help him). Aside from being on the wrong side of 30, Brad Miller's yet to establish whether he's trying to
Triple Threat: Ranking the NBA's 30 Threesomes
Today's Must Reads
Track this Article on My B/R
Share This Article
About the Author Oh My Bosh (contributor)
- 1 articles written
- 3 comments posted
- 1 fans
Want to write for Bleacher Report
We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.
9 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Scott Tully 10 months ago
i would definitely have the Jazz trio ahead of Dallas. Aging Kidd doesn't compare to Williams now. Boozer puts up comparable number to Dirk and Kirilenko's defense puts him on par with Howard. Not to mention the Jazz won more games last year and made it to the second round.
Edit Comment Cancel
Oh My Bosh 10 months ago
Deron is indeed the better point guard than Jason Kidd, but Dirk Nowitzki remains superior to Boozer and although Kirilenko's defense rivals Howard's, his offensive game doesn't at all.
Edit Comment Cancel
Steven Resnick 10 months ago
Definitely have the Warriors way ahead of Dallas with Jackson, Magette, and Ellis. Only a moron with very little knowledge of basketball would rank the Warriors trio 21st out of 30.
Edit Comment Cancel
Oh My Bosh 10 months ago
How foolish of me to think that Stephen Jackson & Corey Maggette are better than Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard. I guess you can't please everyone.
Edit Comment Cancel
Steven Resnick 10 months ago
I've got news for you Josh Howard won't be playing for awhile. He'll either be in jail or he'll be suspended, take your pick he'll miss a minimum of 20 games.
Edit Comment Cancel
Ben Thomason 10 months ago
Steven don't insult other peoples work. Especially seeing people don't think your basketball knowledge is too great.
Edit Comment Cancel
Caelan B 10 months ago
i would of put th pistons in front of th 76ers and rockets in front of the lakers but those are the only flaws vry good list
Edit Comment Cancel
Caelan B 10 months ago
also ....raptors f-cking kick ass all the way to the finals 2009
Edit Comment Cancel
Steven Resnick 10 months ago
What team knocked Dallas out in the first round as the eighth seed? That's right sure the Warriors didn't have Maggette but it was Ellis, Davis, and Jackson or substitue Jackson with Richardson. The Warriors have contantly given Dallas fits and the same can be said for this year. Ellis, Jackson, and Maggette are call capable of averaging 20 a game. Who do the Mavs have for the third? Kidd, he's aging and has never been a great scorer or shooter. Maggette gives the Warriors a dimension they've sorely missed and that is a guard who can get into the paint and hit free throws. Magette does just that. 21st is way too low for the Warriors in regards to the three players they have.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.