Ranking the Best Trios During 2015-16 NBA Season
The concept of the "Big Three" is quickly shifting.
Premier NBA teams no longer need to bring three megastars together in order to compete for a title, though some (such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder) are still making use of that strategy. Instead, the dominant forces in this year's Association are ones that feature balance, versatility and quality play throughout the lineup.
That's not to say a little star power doesn't help, of course.
Even as the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors thrive with more than just three notable cogs, they've seen makeshift "Big Threes" emerge. The members may not all be earning MVP recognition or drawing max-contract consideration, but they're winning basketball games.
Each squad can only have one representative. And it doesn't necessarily feature the biggest names on the roster, only those determined by a lineup score generated from a three-man unit's net rating and multiplying that per-possession effectiveness by how many possessions it has played.
Honorable Mentions
Portland Trail Blazers: Al-Farouq Aminu, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum (Lineup Score of 103.03)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Gorgui Dieng, Ricky Rubio, Karl-Anthony Towns (107.51)
Houston Rockets: Trevor Ariza, Patrick Beverley, James Harden (119.26)
Atlanta Hawks: Kent Bazemore, Al Horford, Kyle Korver (124.07)
Indiana Pacers: Lavoy Allen, Monta Ellis, Paul George (150.78)
10. Boston Celtics: Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas
Minutes: 1,157
Net Rating: 6.4
Lineup Score: 157.03
Balance reigns supreme for the Boston Celtics, so it shouldn't come as a surprise the most effective three-man lineup has been one that masterfully combines offense and defense.
Avery Bradley has excelled as a defensive specialist out of the backcourt, with Isaiah Thomas serving as his offensive counterpart. And just as has been the case in virtually every lineup, Jae Crowder is there as super glue, contributing in every area imaginable and making the schemes work.
"We all play together," Crowder told ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg at the end of the All-Star break. "It's a scary thing when a team don't know who to match up to, whose night it's going to be on the offensive end. And, defensively, we all fight together and play together. It's a scary approach."
Boston's burgeoning star was referring to five-man lineups, but those sentiments could easily apply to this three-man group. No matter which bigs are paired with it—or even if head coach Brad Stevens runs out a small-ball unit—the opponent must prepare for a varied attack on both ends of the floor.
9. Detroit Pistons: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Andre Drummond, Marcus Morris
Minutes: 1,625
Net Rating: 5.1
Lineup Score: 167.79
Even though Reggie Jackson has unequivocally been one of the Detroit Pistons' two best players in 2015-16, he's not present in the top three-man combination. He's been a part of some impressive triumvirates—the grouping of him, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Andre Drummond earns a lineup score of 114.27, for example—but he doesn't mix with Drummond quite as well as these two Motor City representatives.
Though Caldwell-Pope has knocked down only 30 percent of his three-point looks, defenders still have to respect his spot-up attempts. It's not only because he can connect when wide open but also because he's such an athletic presence that failing to put a body on him could result in an easy bucket around the hoop.
Marcus Morris has been much more successful from the outside, shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc and ranking in the 85th percentile as a spot-up shooter, per NBA.com's SportVU data. His ability to drag an opposing forward out toward the perimeter has opened things up for Drummond, who has seen his plus/minus rise from minus-24 without Morris to plus-144 when he's on the court.
8. Charlotte Hornets: Nicolas Batum, Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams
Minutes: 1,435
Net Rating: 5.8
Lineup Score: 168.89
"With the signing of free-agent shooting guard Lance Stephenson, the local NBA franchise will come closer to this [a Big Three] than at any time since the Charlotte Bobcats' inception in 2004," Rick Bonnell wrote for the Charlotte Observer during the 2014 offseason. "Center Al Jefferson, point guard Kemba Walker and Stephenson give the Hornets a shot at winning a playoff series."
A lot can change in less than two years.
Stephenson didn't work out well with the Charlotte Hornets, and Al Jefferson's injuries throughout the 2015-16 campaign have paved the way for breakout players. Walker remains the mainstay in the team's best lineups, but Nicolas Batum's triple-double tendencies and Marvin Williams' stretchiness have propelled this squad up the Eastern Conference standings.
Everything fits together seamlessly. Batum's passing ability—he's averaging 5.8 assists per game while splitting time at the 2 and 3—allows Walker to do more attacking, and Williams' 39.7 percent shooting from downtown stretches out a defense for those assaults on the rim.
7. Dallas Mavericks: Raymond Felton, Wesley Matthews, Dirk Nowitzki
Minutes: 633
Net Rating: 15.1
Lineup Score: 189.35
The names in this trio don't scream "star power".
Raymond Felton is a backup point guard, and Wesley Matthews is still in the process of regaining his pre-injury form while playing in a new location. Hell, Dirk Nowitzki is 37 years old and should be falling victim to Father Time's unstoppable advances. Nonetheless, these Dallas Mavericks have thrived on both ends of the floor when all three are present:
They don't miss shots. They don't ever turn the ball over. They run incredible pick-and-roll offense, and the Felton-Nowitzki combination has been so lethal that it often allows head coach Rick Carlisle to focus on surrounding them with defensive bodies.
They've also been a part of the league's second-best small-ball lineup, as Bleacher Report's Dan Favale recently explained:
"Placed beside one another, Raymond Felton, Wesley Matthews, Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Deron Williams are an offensive dream. Any two can run pick-and-rolls with another, and just about everyone can orbit the three-point line on drives and post-ups; Felton is the only one of the five shooting under 37 percent on catch-and-shoot triples.
This unique blend of aging vets and injury-prone wings is torching defenses for more than 137 points per 100 possessions. You read that correctly. They shoot over 50 percent from three as a collective and steamroll defenses with a flurry of half-court passing.
"
Sometimes, the whole is (significantly) greater than the sum of its parts.
6. San Antonio Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard
| Score | 116.9 | 101.8 | 59.6 | 10.6 |
| NBA Rank | No. 1 | No. 3 | No. 1 | No. 1 |
Minutes: 1,122
Net Rating: 12.0
Lineup Score: 266.98
In previous seasons, the San Antonio Spurs' Big Three has always been Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. But that era is now far behind us. Instead, we're left with one of the league's five best players (Kawhi Leonard), a superstar power forward (LaMarcus Aldridge) and a premier three-and-D wing (Danny Green).
Impressive as those three have been—thanks to their combination of interior prowess, mid-range shooting, perimeter marksmanship and defensive ability—that's not where the focus should remain.
Just take a gander at the best three-man lineup scores produced by one of the greatest teams in NBA history:
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard: 266.98 Lineup Score
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker: 238.92
- Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker: 238.06
- Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker: 237.33
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard: 231.82
- Tim Duncan, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard: 224.81
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, Tony Parker: 211.66
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker: 210.27
- Tim Duncan, Danny Green, Tony Parker: 180.48
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills: 163.64
The top eight lineups would all beat out the Dallas Mavericks' supreme trio and sit in the spot currently occupied by Aldridge, Green and Leonard. Even the No. 10 San Antonio triad would place in the league's top 10 with room to spare.
The Spurs are a cheat code.
5. Toronto Raptors: Cory Joseph, Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson
Minutes: 804
Net Rating: 18.2
Lineup Score: 284.39
Surprised DeMar DeRozan isn't showing up for the Toronto Raptors after he represented them in the All-Star Game? Don't be, since the team's net rating is actually 9.7 points per 100 possessions better when the shooting guard isn't on the court.
Kyle Lowry remains the better player by a substantial margin, and he's a far superior contributor when his starting backcourt mate isn't sharing the floor with him:
But the Raptors' lofty standing is about more than the presence of Lowry and the absence of DeRozan.
Cory Joseph has been a fantastic addition, and throwing him on the floor with the other point guard gives Toronto the ability to create for others from multiple spots. That two-man lineup has worked swimmingly, outscoring opponents by 14.8 points per 100 possessions.
It's even better when Patrick Patterson is also on the floor, since his ability to stretch out defenses helps open up driving lanes for the two-headed backcourt monster. Though he's shooting 42 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc this season, the power forward is even more effective when playing alongside Lowry:
| Without DeRozan | 26.8 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 61.1 | 15.0 |
| With DeRozan | 18.8 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 57.3 | 3.6 |
His numbers go down slightly when Joseph is on the floor, but the converse is not true. The point guard's field-goal percentage jumps from 38.6 to 45.1 when Patterson is playing.
This is the classic case of two limited players—Joseph and Patterson—working well together while they both feed off the presence of an unabashed superstar.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson
Minutes: 913
Net Rating: 18.1
Lineup Score: 324.79
If you're wondering why the trio of Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love isn't represented, it's because Irving's injuries have kept him from logging a sufficient amount of time next to the other two. Well, that and the lack of three-point shooting and defense (from the point guard) have limited what they can do. The three marquee players have produced a net rating of 5.9 in 791 minutes, giving them a lineup score of 92.12. That's nothing to sniff at, but it would still lag behind even the honorable mentions in these rankings.
Instead, Love and Tristan Thompson provide the interior presence necessary to fully complement each other's skill sets. They form an effective undersized tandem for Cleveland, thoroughly dominating on the glass and forcing a defense to focus on both guarding the perimeter and avoiding damage on the boards.
It's also no coincidence that these three all have some of the leading on/off differentials on the roster, looking only at players who have logged at least 400 minutes:
If you're curious, replacing Thompson with Matthew Dellavedova leads to a lineup score of 268.73—the No. 2 mark for the Cavaliers. Irving, on the other hand, doesn't show up until he's paired with James and Thompson to produce the team's No. 8 score.
3. Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, J.J. Redick
Minutes: 1,714
Net Rating: 10.9
Lineup Score: 382.02
Even though it's Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin who are traditionally thought of as the Los Angeles Clippers' Big Three, the latter's absence has forced the team to figure out something new. While Griffin's been recovering from the quadriceps injury suffered on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Lakers and the subsequent broken hand from a brawl with the team's equipment manager, J.J. Redick has been flat-out balling.
On the season, the Duke product has averaged a career-best 16.5 points to go along with 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks. But it's not the per-game numbers that make him special, so much as the jaw-dropping levels of efficiency.
Redick has drilled 47.6 percent of his two-point attempts and hit his free throws at an 88.6 percent clip. He's also knocked down 47.5 percent of his triples—the Association's top mark among all qualified players.
"I was recently told by an advance scout for an Eastern Conference team that the Los [sic] Clippers' most important player is not Chris Paul nor DeAndre Jordan, and certainly not Blake Griffin," Charley Rosen wrote for Today's Fastbreak in mid-March. "Instead, the scout said, the Clippers MVP is...J.J. Redick."
The presences of Paul and Jordan should speak for themselves, especially on a squad that's struggled to find convincing depth throughout the 2015-16 campaign. But Redick isn't here by accident.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Russell Westbrook
| With Redick | 113.3 (No. 2) | 103.6 (No. 5) |
| Without Redick | 101.4 (No. 29 | 105.2 (No. 11) |
Minutes: 1,680
Net Rating: 12.6
Lineup Score: 438.93
Even though Serge Ibaka has had trouble developing on the offensive end, it's not like he needs to do much when paired with both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Those two superstars are more than capable of doing enough scoring for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Ibaka's strengths only help ease the burdens they must shoulder.
The Congolese power forward doesn't have convincing three-point range this season—a strange turn of events after hitting 37.7 percent of deep looks during the previous two campaigns—but he can drill plenty of mid-range attempts. He's shooting 47.6 percent from between 10 and 16 feet, as well as 45.3 percent on two-pointers beyond 16.
That alone opens up lanes for the aggressive drives of Westbrook and the slashing ability of Durant, dragging defenders away from the painted area and forcing them to help their overmatched teammates from farther away.
But Ibaka's rim protection has also been key.
According to NBA.com's SportVU data, he's allowing opponents to shoot just 43.7 percent at the rim while facing 7.7 attempts per game. And when you're shutting down the opposition in the restricted area that successfully, the impact can be rather widespread. It allows lanky and athletic defenders such as Westbrook and Durant to gamble more often, knowing many of their mistakes will be cleaned up behind them.
This trio's 114.3 offensive rating is impressive, but let's not gloss over its ability to allow just 101.7 points per 100 possessions.
1. Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson
Minutes: 1,762
Net Rating: 20.6
Lineup Score: 786.82
Don't act surprised.
This isn't just another excuse to prop up the Golden State Warriors or an artificial attempt to make them look better than they really are. The trio of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is just so dominant that its score is nearly twice that of the No. 2 finisher in these rankings.
In fact, one other Dubs triumvirate would beat out the best the Thunder have to offer, and the top overall scores—no longer acknowledging our restriction of one representative per team—would feature two squads almost exclusively. You actually have to travel down to No. 12 to find someone from outside the Bay Area or Oklahoma City:
Curry, Green and Thompson make for the perfect trio, and I don't use that adjective lightly.
The first member is the greatest shooter of all time, still on pace to produce what's almost unquestionably the top offensive season of the modern era. The second should be the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, and it also helps that he's a triple-double machine leading his team in both rebounds and assists. The third is a three-and-D wing who might knock down more treys this season than anyone but Curry ever has.
They fit together perfectly, display unmatched levels of chemistry and possess the versatility necessary to play multiple styles. They're all key parts of the small-ball "death lineup" that should go down as one of the most dominant five-man units in NBA history, and they can also play alongside Andrew Bogut in the starting five.
Even if Golden State is so much more than these three players, they've become one of the best Big Threes we've ever seen.
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.
All stats, unless otherwise indicated, are from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com or Adam's own databases and accurate through games played on March 29.
