Ranking The NBA's Best Big Trios Ahead of the 2023-24 Season
After Damian Lillard's comments on the Phoenix Suns' newly formed big three of G Devin Booker, F Kevin Durant and G Bradley Beal, the potential for this combination to carry the Suns to its very first title has become real.
The new big three in the Valley are around some of the best combinations around the league:
1. Denver Nuggets- C Nikola Jokic, G Jamal Murray and F Aaron Gordon
An impressive and well-worthy playoff performance brought the Denver Nuggets' big three to the NBA's center stage. The Nuggets have executed on their end the correct development of Jokic, the patience to wait for a younger Murray to find strengths in his game and revitalized Gordon from a fluid Orlando Magic situation.
Credit must be given to a big three that has proven to be the cream of the crop in terms of chemistry as well. When the three of them are on the court together, the efficiency is evident in the Nuggets' ability to share the ball to other role players as well as feeding the machine that produced their first ever franchise title, something the Suns will try to accomplish in the 2023-24 season.
Nuggets' big three still reigns supreme in league after title win.
The Murray, Gordon and Jokic combination has played well over 2,000 possessions las year alone according to cleaningtheglass.com. In those possessions when on the floor, the Nuggets big three have an points per possession rating good enough for the 83 percentile in the league, an effective field goal percentage rating that ranks in the 86 percentile in the league as well as defensive rating totals upwards in the 70 percentile range.
All these marks are based on all possible combinations around the league.
It's what has led to the success in Denver as a basketball franchise, and now the big three in the Mile High City have hardware to prove their dominance. This proven combination still ranks the top-dog in the NBA landscape.
2. Phoenix Suns- G Devin Booker, F Kevin Durant and G Bradley Beal
While the Suns have yet to hit the hardwood with this lineup, the hopes of an unstoppable force with three stars was vindicated within a year for Phoenix.
After the monumental acquisition of Durant, the temperature began to heat up in Phoenix with championship expectations. Perhaps too little too late, the Suns needed more scoring from another weapon during the playoffs after their two sources of offensive production fell short against the eventual champs.
In comes one of the biggest offseason shockers in recent memory, especially for fans of the Suns.
The summer signing of G Bradley Beal could be one for the ages.
Beal has yet to play in orange and purple, but just the idea of having three legitimate all-star starters on the court at the same time has perhaps never been felt before in Phoenix.
The hype surrounding the Suns is all speculation for the moment. The combination has never seen actions yet. But the potential alone is what makes this big three the second best in the league already. When players as individually decorated as Booker, Durant and Beal are play on the court together, the league takes notice. Plenty of eyes will be in the Footprint Center this year.
3. Los Angeles Clippers- G Kawhi Leonard, G Russell Westbrook and F Paul George
The biggest element holding this group back has been injury. When healthy, the Clippers have a capable championship level team when/if things fall their way. With plenty of on-paper talent and star names, the Clippers' big three is still a good bounce away for their franchise's first.
Seasons of recent past have not been favorable for the once destined "Lob City" squad. The same could be said about the newer big three on the precipice of scaling the championship hump and putting rings on deserved players like Westbrook and George.
With two knee injuries to Leonard and George last year, the Clippers are expecting their big stars to return to their past selves. Last season with a 44-38 record, the 5th seed Clippers were the gateway for a limping playoff appearance. Leonard was a one man wrecking crew for Los Angeles.
Along with help from role players and draft picks G Kobe Brown and F Jordan Miller, the Clippers should be in another position to make a run. Should the stars of the past become reborn, the Clippers' big three is the third best big three in the league this coming season.
