Power Ranking Brooklyn Nets Potential Big 3 with the Best in the NBA
There's still a legitimate chance the Nets will arrive in Brooklyn with an All-Star "Big Three" of its own.
The franchise embarked upon an all-or-nothing summer that could have south very quickly, returning owner Mikhail Prokhorov to the same kind of rebuilding project he inherited in 2010. All along, the lynchpin of the offseason plans was star point guard Deron Williams, originally acquired in a midseason trade from the Utah Jazz.
Williams has long had his eyes on a pairing with hulking prima donna Dwight Howard, and the feeling is mutual.
Together, Howard and Williams would form an inside-outside combination of athletes who top the league at their respective positions.
For now, the only sure thing is that Joe Johnson will be joining the Nets after the organization agreed to a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. If Williams indeed returns and the Orlando Magic eventually agree to send Howard along for the ride, the Nets would have a potent, albeit overpaid trio of difference-makers.
But how would it rank with the rest of the league's trifectas?
6. Los Angeles Lakers
Who knows what the Lakers' rotation will look like by the end of the summer, but it's led by Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol for now.
Bynum and Gasol provide the team an advantage that no other club can rival. The two seven-footers own the paint on both ends of the floor, and the rest is left to Bryant. It's a dangerous formula.
That said, Bryant has become a more one-dimensional jump shooter, and Gasol isn't at active as he once as. This core would have been a few spots higher three years ago, but it's changed before our eyes.
5. Boston Celtics
Whether Ray Allen returns, Boston's Big Three had changed anyway. Rajon Rondo may be the best player on the team at this point, and he's certainly one of the very best pure point guards in the league.
Kevin Garnett proved that he's still one of the best big men in the game, and the crafty Paul Pierce was never in doubt. Of course, Garnett and Pierce are getting older, but they're aided by the presence of such a talented distributor. So long as Rondo is setting these guys up, they'll continue to thrive for another two or three years.
4. San Antonio Spurs
The beauty of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is that they couldn't care less about producing All-Star numbers. But, they rise to the occasion, and there's something to be said for that deference anyway.
San Antonio is a different kind of team—that much is clear. Its star power isn't defined by production alone, but by decision-making. When the Spurs execute their offense, they're incredibly hard to beat. The Big Three keep that engine running, even if its the role players who now score more of the baskets.
3. Brooklyn Nets (hypothetically)
Joe Johnson would learn what it's like to be Chris Bosh, the third-wheel extraordinaire. That would probably be a good thing for him, too. With Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to do the heavy lifting, Johnson could settle into the kind a complementary role to which he's best suited.
Whatever happens with JJ, this club would be all about Deron and Dwight. Williams ranks among Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Tony Parker as one of the best all-around point guards in the league. Meanwhile, Howard is virtually in a league of his own.
These Nets would be difficult to defend. The three stars would each be capable of creating plays for themselves and teammates alike.
2. Miami Heat
How could the world champion Heat be anything than the No. 1 trio? Well, they had some help, and there's an even younger group of stars that should prove to have Miami's number next time around.
Still, LeBron James single-handedly makes any Big Three pretty amazing. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh do their parts, but the 2012 version of the Heat wasn't nearly as egalitarian as advertised. This became James' team, and it's better off for it.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Sure, the Heat might have bested OKC in the Finals, but it wasn't because one set of superstars outperformed the other. As far as the big names go, you can call it a draw.
The difference was that guys like Shane Battier and Mike Miller rose to the occasion while Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha disappeared. Obviously, a huge heaping of blame falls on James Harden's shoulders for the series' demise, but the Thunder wouldn't have gotten that far without the 22-year-old's prowess.
If you think it's a close call between the two teams, Oklahoma City deserves the edge based on their youth and the probability they'll remain healthy and effective for the next five years at the very least.
There's a case to be made that a more traditional point guard would be a better fit for this club than Russell Westbrook, but there's still no denying his talent and effectiveness as a scorer. He may not be the sidekick Kevin Durant needs, but he's a darn good one.
It's hard to say the same for Miami.
