NBA: Top five "Big 3"s

The Miami Heat’s Big 3 have established themselves as the premier trio in the league. The free agency has died out and the various stars have settled down in their respective teams. Has this season’s free agency shaken up the standings?

Many teams have great trios but they fall shy of earning the ultimate title of “Big 3″. For example, the Clippers have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, two All-Stars as their premier two punch duo. But who’s their third leg? Deandre Jordan? Nah.

In this article, we take a look at the top five Big 3s in the league right now. Many teams have shuffled their rosters this offseason. Have any of them managed to dethrone King James and Co.?

5. Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert; Indiana Pacers

Literally, a BIG 3. They’re big, physical and form one of the most balanced big 3′s in the league.

Paul George is now the star of the Pacers. He led them in scoring, minutes played and Steals. George has established himself as the leader of this in-form Pacers team. In return, the management rewarded him by signing him to a $90 million, 5 year contract.

The Pacers managed to re-sign Power Forward David West and this might be their smartest move in recent years.

West brings experience and innate toughness to this trio. Factor in his post skills and his willingness to guard anybody on the opposing team and you have got the heart and soul of the Pacers. West’s toughness and leadership kept Indiana going last season.

Roy Hibbert is the last member of the trio. He’s been steadily improving and last season was a breakout year for him. He led the Pacers in rebounding and shot blocking last season. His ability to patrol the paint is invaluable as it allows the perimeter players to be a little lax on security, something which very few teams possess.

One would be hard pressed to find a center of his skill and size in the Eastern Conference.

4. Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah; Chicago Bulls

Chicago’s Big 3 are simultaneously one of the most talented and the most injury plagued trios in the league. Between Rose’s absence for over a year, Noah’s endless struggle with plantar fascitis and Deng’s frequent stints on the sidelines, we hardly ever get to watch these three play at full potential.

However, there’s no denying their ability.

Rose is the best point guard in the league. He’s returning from over a year off, but he’s come back just as fast, just as powerful and just as deadly. After their victory against Indiana in their preseason game, Rose was confident he’ll be able to play as well as before.

In his absence Noah took over the mantle as the Bulls’ best player. He’s one of the most dominating centers defensively and has an improving offensive game. He thrives on the glass and had it not been for his injuries, he might have given Marc Gasol a run for his money in the Defensive Player Of The Year award race.

They’re complemented effectively by Luol Deng. While Deng cannot be expected to carry a team offensively, he’s a lockdown perimeter defender. He’s also good at spot up situations around the arc making him a versatile player.

3. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka; Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook’s absence was sorely felt during the postseason last time around.

Westbrook is over-assertive, forgets his role in the team often and makes bad judgement calls. But he’s an explosive scorer and shoulders a sizeable part of the team’s offense. This was what the team missed last season after his injury ruled him out of the playoffs. Durant would rather take Westbrook and his flaws than suffer through another game of constant double teams and noone else to shoulder the scoring.

Durant is the second best player in the planet. He’s coming off a 90-50-40 season and will be hoping to build on his scoring prowess from last season. However, Durant’s abilities as a defender and a facilitator tend to get overshadowed by his phenomenal scoring ability. He’s the team’s best defender in terms of opponents’ PER and has an impressive 4.7 APG (especially for a Power Forward).

Ibaka is the slightly weaker link in their chain. While he has improved as a defender and shot blocker, Ibaka is still a liability on offense. To truly better himself and the team, he needs to focus on his offense and become more assertive. Some tips on that from Westbrook maybe?

2. Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan; San Antonio Spurs

For the past decade, San Antonio’s big 3 has been Parker, Duncan and Ginobili. There has been a change of guard. Erm, Forward.

Kawhi Leonard has established himself as the no. 3 player on the Spurs’ roster. His offense is improving, markedly shown in his 3 point shooting and ability to attack the rim. But what sets him apart is his defence.

Leonard is an excellent defensive stopper. He’s fearless as was evidenced by the way he matched up against LeBron James in the NBA finals. Being only 22, Leonard appears to be the face of the Spurs once Duncan and Ginobili retire.

Parker is currently one of the best point guards in the league. He’s still in his prime, despite being 31. His court vision and ability to stitch together the Spurs’ offence make him such a potent guard. If Parker quits or moves to another team, the entire Spurs’ offence will come crumbling down.

There’s nothing much to say about Duncan. He’s the best Power Forward in the league, period.

1. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh; Miami Heat

No surprises there. Anybody who feels they’re not the best big 3 in the league is quite simply, nuts.

The Heat have won their second championship in 2 years and are poised to win yet another this year. What makes them so special is their chemistry, and the fact that this big 3 was formed by the players themselves.

LeBron stands head, shoulders and waist above everyone in the league right now. And he’s supposedly improved over the off season. He’s improved as a team player and as a leader as well as was evidenced when he picked up the slack during Wade and Bosh’s .

Wade’s knees are bringing his play to a premature decline. That being said, he’s still a top 10 player even while injured. He can score at will, is a better clutch player than James himself and is an excellent facilitator. He chooses to facilitate because the team needs him more as a facilitator than as a scorer.

Bosh might not be statistically as brilliant as before, but he’s playing some of the most efficient basketball of his career. He shot a career high .535 from the field last season. He’s focusing more on protecting the rim and defence than on his offence. The main reason Bosh garnered little attention this season was the stellar play of LeBron, not his own play dropping down.

LeBron is playing so well at the moment that he could probably manage to remain no. 1 even without Wade and Bosh. But when you take into account these two All-Stars backing this MVP, well, one won’t find it hard to imagine the Heat at the top of another set of rankings.