Breaking Down the Best 3-and-D Guys in the NBA Entering 2013-14

Adam FromalSep 26, 2013

As NBA teams start to value three-point shooting and defensive excellence more, the "three-and-D" guy has become increasingly in vogue.

Elite teams love filling up the bench with players who can either drill shots from the perimeter or step onto the court and shut down their assignments. It's quite the luxury when players are able to do both, as it saves both roster space and money.

But the true "three-and-D" standouts are still rare breeds. Some, like Shane Battier, have been around for a while. But others typically fail to stand out.

So who are the best of the best going into the 2013-14 season?

Rather than subjectively answer the question, I've developed a new metric to tell us: "3D score." You'll find a full explanation on the next slide followed by a list of the top 10 players. Plus, if you click past the No. 1 guy, you'll find the complete rankings of all qualified players.

As you read on keep in mind that this is a completely objective set of rankings. The numbers don't lie, although sometimes, you have to keep context in mind. Jimmy Butler, for example, has his overall ranking depressed because he didn't break out until the second half of the year.

How Is 3D Score Calculated?

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Three components go into calculating "3D score:" three-point value added, isolation defense and overall defense.

The first is determined by part of the formula I used when developing my pure shooting metric. As the league-average shooting percentage from beyond the arc is 35.9 percent, anything better adds value. Anything lower, conversely, takes away value.

When accounting for that, the formula for three-point value is three-pointers attempted per game multiplied by the difference between a player's three-point shooting percentage and 35.9. That result is then multiplied by 1.5 to account for a three-pointer's extra worth, though that last step is technically irrelevant here because it's a uniform multiplier.

Calculating the other two portions is more simple.

Synergy Sports (subscription required) has already done it for me by displaying overall and isolation points per possession allowed.

With those three categories in mind I first determined the eligible players.

To qualify for these rankings, a player must line up consistently at either shooting guard, small forward or power forward. Point guards and centers don't play on the wings, and that's part of being a "three-and-D" stud.

On top of that, players needed to spend enough time on the court to matter (15-plus minutes per game, 40-plus games played in 2012-13) and shoot well (35 percent shooting or better from downtown and at least one three-pointer attempted per game.

That left me with 68 qualified players.

Once their stats for each category were calculated and recorded, I ranked them in each one. The three-point category was counted twice so that shooting contributed half of the overall score, and the ranks were then added up to find the "3D score."

For example, a player who had the most three-point value added and fared best in both isolation and overall defense would have a perfect score of four.

For the curious out there, the category winners were as follows:

Three-point value: Kyle Korver
Isolation defense: Evan Turner
Overall defense: Jimmy Butler

9(tie). Kyle Korver, 68 3D Score

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Team: Atlanta Hawks

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 1

Isolation Rank: No. 52

Overall Defense Rank: No. 14

There's no doubt that Kyle Korver is one of the best shooters in basketball.

Other than Stephen Curry, no one was better at hitting three-pointers during the 2013-14 campaign. The Atlanta Hawks sniper averaged 5.6 attempts per game and still managed to knock down 45.7 percent of them.

Curry doesn't technically qualify here because he's a point guard, which is why Korver added the most value from beyond the arc. If you're curious, his score of 82.32 was No. 2 overall, trailing only Golden State Warriors' floor general's score of 108.57.

But Korver's defense keeps him in the competition as well, narrowly pushing him ahead of Martell Webster and Gordon Hayward. While the small forward is by no means a standout defender, he's a capable stopper who doesn't get picked on very much by opposing teams.

While the Ashton Kutcher lookalike's isolation defense could stand to improve, his contributions in other areas do the trick. For example, he's an absolutely fantastic defender against ball-handlers in pick-and-roll situations, according to Synergy Sports.

9(tie). Shane Battier, 68

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Team: Miami Heat

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 4

Isolation Rank: No. 40

Overall Defense Rank: No. 20

Now we come to a player you might have expected to see a little bit higher up in the rankings.

During his prime, Shane Battier was the league's elite "three-and-D" player, but he's slipped down a bit as he's gotten older.

The Duke product is still a tremendous marksman from behind the arc. He ranked fourth among all qualified snipers, and that's an impressive bunch of shooters we're talking about. His shooting has saved the Miami Heat multiple times and it will continue to do so in 2013-14.

However, Battier's defense has taken a step backward.

According to Basketball-Reference, the Heat allowed only one point less per 100 possessions when this small forward was on the court. This is a much smaller number than we've become accustomed to with Battier.

He's a solid team defender, but that doesn't really help him out in this metric. Unless Battier's isolation defense starts getting back into the realm of elites, he's doomed to fall out of the top 10 soon.

7(tie). Danny Green, 66

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Team: San Antonio Spurs

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 2

Isolation Rank: No. 35

Overall Defense Rank: No. 27

If I were only analyzing the NBA Finals, then Danny Green's numbers would look even better. After all, he got better on the defensive end throughout the year and capably stood up to the challenge when matched against LeBron James.

But alas, we're looking at the entire season.

Green's three-point shooting is still good enough to carry him, although his defense wasn't quite up to the level we've come to associate him with after the Finals. The San Antonio Spurs sniper finished with a three-point value of 54.6, which is just about as elite as it gets before arriving at the Kyle Korver/Stephen Curry level.

According to Synergy, Green couldn't finish in the double-digits among all qualified players either as an isolation defender or an overall point-stopper. When faced with iso sets, 157 players allowed fewer points per possession than Green did and that needs to be a primary point of emphasis for the young swingman.

Still, San Antonio has a gem in Green and Gregg Popovich will continue to make sure he looks as lustrous as possible.

7(tie). Mike Dunleavy, 66

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Team: Chicago Bulls

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 6

Isolation Rank: No. 19

Overall Defense Rank: No. 35

Mike Dunleavy doesn't get enough credit for his solid defensive play. But no matter how you look at it, the numbers make him appear like a good stopper.

Basketball-Reference shows that the Milwaukee Bucks allowed 1.1 fewer points per possession when he was on the court. Data from 82games.com reveals that he held opposing shooting guards and small forwards to PERs of 7.0 and 10.3, respectively.

And—as you can tell by his ranks—Synergy reveals that his individual numbers are also pretty solid. Nothing special, but pretty solid.

What's scary, though, is that Tom Thibodeau is about to make him look like an even better defender. And it's not like his stellar three-point stroke is going to suddenly disappear. In fact, it may get even better now that he's playing with less selfish offensive teammates.

Don't be surprised when Dunleavy rises even higher in the rankings at the end of the 2013-14 season.

6. Klay Thompson, 53

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Team: Golden State Warriors

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 9

Isolation Rank: No. 29

Overall Defense Rank: No. 6

There's a big gap between Klay Thompson and everyone else below him in these rankings. The Golden State Warriors shooting guard is the first of the truly elite "three-and-D" guys, as evidenced by a score that's 13 points lower than Mike Dunleavy and Danny Green's.

And what's terrifying for the rest of the league is that this member of the Splash Brothers is only 23 years old. He's still getting better on both sides of the ball.

As the 2012-13 campaign progressed, Thompson looked noticeably more comfortable as a defensive stopper. He took on tougher assignments and rose to the challenge more often than not.

Synergy doesn't have the ability to break down points per possession numbers into splits. But the eye test tells me that Thompson would have rated a lot better had I only looked at post-All-Star numbers.

The Washington State product made more three-pointers than anyone not named Stephen Curry during his latest season in the Association, and he still managed to hit 40.1 percent of his attempts. With Andre Iguodala taking even more defensive attention away now, don't be surprised when he—at least—matches those numbers in 2013-14.

5. Vince Carter, 51

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Team: Dallas Mavericks

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 14

Isolation Rank: No. 8

Overall Defense Rank: No. 15

Old age? What's that?

Vince Carter may be 36 years old but he's still putting up elite numbers. And after a few players whose lofty ranking is due to three-point shooting, Carter is taking the opposite approach.

According to Synergy, Vinsanity held opposing players to just 0.67 points per possession when guarding them in isolation. Not only did that help him rank No. 8 among all eligible players, but also, it gave him the No. 42 spot overall.

In those iso sets, opponents managed to shoot only 28.8 percent against Carter. Stop and let that marinate for a second.

Even though he's steadily reaching AARP status, Carter's veteran savvy and enduring athleticism still help him prevent points with the best of them. And it doesn't hurt that he's hitting three-pointers with ease and thriving in other types of defensive situations.

Again, what's old age?

4. Kevin Martin, 48

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Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 3

Isolation Rank: No. 23

Overall Defense Rank: No. 19

Do you think the Minnesota Timberwolves are even more thrilled that they splurged on Kevin Martin's services now?

It's fairly common knowledge that his unorthodox jumper works to perfection. Last year, he shot 42.6 percent from downtown while letting fly 4.8 triples per game. That combination was good enough to give him the third-most value from beyond the arc among this group of players.

But what often goes overlooked is that he's an adequate defender.

Martin is typically hidden on the less glamorous end of the court, but at least he doesn't get torched by that new assignment. As a result, his defensive numbers are a little bit manufactured (there's another example of this coming up in a few slides), but who am I to argue with math?

His saving grace is that it's always been quite difficult to post him up. Last year, according to Synergy, the shooting guard held opponents to just 0.61 points per possession in those situations, better than all but nine qualified players throughout the NBA.

3. Kevin Durant, 44

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Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 13

Isolation Rank: No. 14

Overall Defense Rank: No. 4

Breaking news: Kevin Durant is really good at this whole basketball thing.

Durant is a superstar and not a "three-and-D" specialist, which makes it all the more impressive for him to be checking in at No. 3 in the rankings. He contributes in so many other ways that this is just icing on an already stellar cake.

And, perhaps even more amazingly, Durant isn't just being carried by his shooting.

Sure, he ranks quite well even when compared to all these three-point specialists. But it's his defense that pushes him over the top. Durant hasn't quite morphed into a true stopper because he doesn't go out of position to take on the toughest assignments possible. But he's in no way a defensive liability at this stage of his career.

In fact, only Paul Pierce, Trevor Ariza and Jimmy Butler allowed fewer points per possession among the players eligible for these rankings.

It's just another step on Durant's path to overall greatness. Heading into the 2013-14 campaign, he's a more well-rounded player than ever.

2. Wesley Matthews, 43

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Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 12

Isolation Rank: No. 10

Overall Defense Rank: No. 9

Wesley Matthews is giving us a masterclass in how to thrive across the board.

When looking at those three ranks up above, there's no one area that stands out in either positively or negatively. He's just rock solid in all three categories.

In 2012-13, Matthews drilled 39.8 percent of his 6.2 looks per game from behind the arc. Not only does that make him No. 12 among the players eligible for these rankings, but it also gives him the 14th most three-point value in the entire NBA.

But that's not all Matthews brings to the table. He fully embodies the mentality that should make him thrive on both ends of the court.

The Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard will have to maintain this level of play throughout the 2013-14 season because Rip City has quite a few guards to choose from. He should be able to hold off Mo Williams and C.J. McCollum, but it'll take all he's got in the tank.

1. Steve Novak, 20

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Team: Toronto Raptors

Three-Point Value Rank: No. 5

Isolation Rank: No. 2

Overall Defense Rank: No. 8

Trust me, I was shocked when my formula spat out Steve Novak as the No. 1 "three-and-D" guy in the league. And it was even more surprising when I saw that it was by such a ridiculously large margin.

Novak is the only eligible player to rank in the top 10 for both three-point value and combined defense. Other players—such as Klay Thompson—finished in the top 10 in two categories, but the second defensive ranking pushed them all too far back.

The former New York Knicks sharpshooter is also a bit of a strange case.

He's not viewed as a defensive stud, but the individual numbers show that he is. According to Synergy, Novak checks in as the No. 87 defensive player in the NBA and the No. 25 isolation stopper, both rather impressive marks for a three-point specialist.

So, what gives?

Well, the answer is twofold.

First, Novak is better than his reputation would indicate simply because his three-point prowess devalues everything else that he does in the minds of most observers. Secondly, the Knicks were masters at hiding him defensively and making sure that opposing teams couldn't capitalize on his lack of athleticism too frequently.

I can't subjectively change the rankings but I can give you those caveats. Were it up to me to shuffle the order, I'd be dropping Novak down a few spots.