Ranking the NBA’s Best Big 3s for the 2021-2022 Season

By Steve Tsilimos | Posted 2 years ago
Ranking the NBA’s Best Big 3s for the 2021-2022 Season

The era of the Big Three seems to be a fairly new phenomenon to younger NBA fans. In truth, basketball’s Big Three has been around a lot longer than most modern-era basketball fans think. The original Big Three -- Bill Russell, Sam Jones and Tom Heinsohn of the Boston Celtics won seven straight titles together from 1958-59 to 1964-65. 

 

 

 

The league has totally changed since the times when Russell and the Celtics were dominating. What has remained true through all the changes and the evolution of the NBA? The quickest way to a championship is putting three All-Star caliber players on the same team. Today’s game has more teams than ever doing their best to load the top of their rosters with a trio of All-Stars.

 

Ranked below are the top-nine Big 3s in the NBA heading into the 2021-2022 season. Nine is divisible by three giving us three tiers of Big 3s in the NBA right now. 

Third Tier 

No. 9 Denver Nuggets

Big Three: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

 

The trio in Denver is young and should take another huge leap. The reigning-MVP - Nikola Jokic, was a consistent force last-season averaging 26 points, 10 boards and eight assists. Murray tore his ACL on April 12 and missed the rest of the season, which is why this trio is where it ison the list. That being said, the sky's the limit for these young-players in Denver.

 

If Murray can return to form and continue his growth, then this team has three potential All-Stars. Murray who is 24years old and Porter Jr. who is 23 are set to get much better this season. Playing alongside Jokic will take a lot of pressure off of both of them and allow them to continue their rapid growth. 

 

No. 8 Miami Heat

Big Three: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry

 

If they are not the best defending Big Three in the NBA then they are most-definitely second. Butler and Adebayo can both defend multiple positions and have a dog-like mentality that any offensive player hates playing against. The offseason addition of Lowry seemed like a no-brainer for the Heat. He not only fits the gritty-culture perfectly, he brings veteran leadership and a ring. It's easy to understand why this trio will be tough next year.

 

There is a concern for spacing when these three take the floor together, but they have some of the best sharpshooters around them and they all can create a shot. Tenacity and an appetite for winning is what this trio will bring each night which will make them a championship contender.

No. 7 Phoenix Suns

Big Three:  Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton

 

Maybe this is a slap in the face of the defending Western Conference Champions? The Big Three were a huge part of their success last season but the strength of the Suns is the depth of the roster. Paul’s veteran leadership helped Booker and Ayton take their games to the next level. 

 

Booker is well respected as one of the brightest youngstars in the NBA. There are no holes in his game and he is still getting better. Paul has seemed to defy time but he is 36 and could start to slow a bit this upcoming season. Ayton is a force around the bucket when he shows up, but he is still learning how to be more physical and not shy away from big moments. 

Second Tier

No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers

Big Three: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris

 

The 76ers’ process has come to an end and they believe it is time to win now. The problem is that they were bounced out of the playoffs by a younger, less-talented Hawks team. Simmons has been tossed around as a possible trade piece, but it seems the 76ers are asking for a ridiculous return to part ways with their All-Star.

 

If Simmons gets slightly better and much more confident at shooting, then the 76ers have one of the best Big Threes. Simmons is not known for his work ethic and there is speculation that the relationship between him and the organization has begun to fray. It's do-or-die time in Philly. 

No 5. Utah Jazz

Big Three: Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley

 

The Jazz finished the ‘20-’21 regular season with the bestrecord in the NBA and have had four straight seasons with a winning percentage above .600. The team as a whole is deep and plays together but the three stars at the top are a big reason for their success.

 

Mitchell is drawing comparisons to Dwyane Wade in his prime and he deserves it. The young guard gets buckets from anywhere and makes it look fantastic like D-Wade used to do. Gobert has won three out of the last four DPOY awards and has come a long way on the offensive end. Conley brings the veteran leadership and he can do everything well which earned him his first All-Star appearance last season. 

No. 4 Golden State Warriors

Big Three: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson

 

At one point not long ago, this trio was the best in the league. Thomson and Curry are two of the best shooters to play basketball. The “Splash Brothers” and their do-it-all point-forward Green were a force that seemed unstoppable. How did they fall all to No. 4 when they went to five straight finals and won three?

 

The health of Thompson has been the issue with the trio the past two years and is a big-question heading into the ‘21-’22 season. Thompson is coming back from a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles. For those readers that are not aware, those are types of injuries that could change Thompson forever. Hopefully we get to see Thompson play an entire year and experience some more magic from one of the best Big Threes ever.

 

First Tier

No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks

Big Three: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday

 

Antetokounmpo is considered by many to be the best player in the world after his latest epic-playoff run ending with a Finals MVP. His size and athletic ability make him an unstoppable force when he is going to the bucket. His running mate Middleton has developed into one of the league's best two-way players. Holiday is an elite defender that can fill it up when his number is called.

 

No other Big Three knows their roles better than these three, which allows them to play together seamlessly. The addition of Holiday last offseason was exactly what the Bucks needed to push them over the top. It will be interesting to see how they respond this season with the ‘target on their back.’ 

No. 2 Brooklyn Nets

Big Three: Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving

 

 

I know it is an unpopular opinion to place the Big Three in Brooklyn at No. 2, but there are a lot of holes in their games. Yes, they are undeniably the most talented trio of scorers to play together, and they are all in their prime. So how are they not sitting atop of this list?

 

The problem with Brooklyn is that they are all average defenders and they all have health issues. Also, the only time any of these guys have been successful in the playoffs was when Durant was playing with the super team in Golden State or Irving was teamed up with LeBron. Basketball is much more than putting the ball in the hoop. The Nets think they will outscore anyone four times in seven games and I am not buying it. It may be true but they need to prove it before they jump "James Gang.'. 

No. 1 L.A. Lakers

Big Three: LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook

 

The Big Three in L.A. also had their issues with injuries last season. People seem to forget that James was leading the MVP talks before he went down with an injury last season. James is getting older but he does not show signs of slowing. The addition of Westbrook will take some pressure off of James to carry this team during the regular season, which will allow him to be fresh for the playoffs.

 

Westbrook is a walking triple-double and dominates like few have. If he wins a championship, he will finally get the respect he deserves as one of the best PGs to play the game. The matchup problems that these three bring to the table is the greatest strength they have. They can all play and defend multiple positions which will allow Coach Frank Vogel to play with a bunch of different lineups.

 

 

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