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22. Washington Wizards: Rui Hachimura, Ish Smith, Thomas Bryant
This is not ideal. It’s also everything the Wizards have. They’ll be without their top three players at Disney: Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans, John Wall, and they won’t even have Thomas Bryant for a while as he recovers from COVID-19.
Fighting over this selection is useless. Does Moritz Wagner belong to Rui Hachimura? How about Troy Brown Jr.? Perhaps.
Wagner has the strongest case if he starts shooting three times again. But replacing the novice with someone else does not result in a material change. Washington is the least equipped team of all on the Disney campus right now.
21. San Antonio Spurs: DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White
Creating a trio with players who are barely logged in together doesn’t feel right. However, that’s the way it is for the Spurs. LaMarcus Aldridge ends the year after undergoing right shoulder surgery, and ranking Rudy Gay, Patty Mills or Jakob Poeltl ahead of Dejounte Murray or Derrick White goes a little too far.
Space concerns abound for this troika, which has totaled 146 possessions together, across which San Antonio has an offensive rating at, say, the sixth percentile. Murray (37.8 percent) and White (35.6 percent) are fine from beyond the arc, but their precision doesn’t have appreciable volume or functionality (i.e., out-of-place appearance).
Unless they or DeRozan undergo a severe offensive transformation, this is not a trio that plans to do a lot of damage or even see a ton of time.
20. Brooklyn Nets: Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, Caris LeVert
Injuries and health problems have devastated the Nets ‘roster as much as they have destroyed the Wizards’ depth chart. But Brooklyn is decidedly better than its counterparts. Each of his top three remaining players would be part of any other NBA rotation.
The Nets’ playoff opportunities will continue to be a difficult task, though much less given the state of the Wizards.
Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris and Caris LeVert have barely played without Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving. LeVert has the rebound juice to take on a large chunk of shot-making chores: He leads the league in a three-point pull-up percentage among players to attempt at least three per game, but Allen and Harris’ offensive utility He takes a hit without a more established setup man by his side.
19. Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Richaun Holmes
Richaun Holmes receives the go-ahead despite appearing in only 39 games so far (shoulder injury). De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield were the only Kings players to break the NBA 100, making this a more flexible selection process, and Holmes played well enough during his time on the court to justify the three best players in their … team treatment
Sacramento also did quite well with all three in tow.
The offense accumulates 118.3 points for every 100 possessions to anchor a net plus-2.7 rating. That efficiency is in line with the composition of this trio. Fox is already offensive engine material, an amalgam of explosion and decision-making with a few functional shots, while Hield remains a dead-eye floor spacer. Holmes offers a strong presence around the edge, both as a shooter and as a kick hunter.
These three become infinitely more intriguing if Holmes is encouraged to let him rip long distance. Whether they can rise much higher is a different story. Your collective defense needs to be matched. Holmes may stop around the cube, but he is not an active deterrent, and Hield is often on the wrong side of bad fighting.
18. Orlando Magic: Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic
Jonathan Isaac would be a follower of the Orlando trio if it sounded like he was coming back from his left knee injury. It does not.
Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic typify an average league threesome. They all have their use, but it doesn’t merge into something much bigger. The absence of a primary offensive creator is what hurts the most. Vooch may carry certain lineups, but it is not a face-to-face test. Fournier is best deployed as a tertiary game creator.
Gordon gives this troika, who has struggled to defend the edge and three-point line, largely due to Isaac’s limited availability, room for maneuver to surprise the offense. He has improved his pick-and-roll decision making and is hitting 40.7 percent of his triples since Jan. 15. Orlando will be much better if he can find his touch as a face-up scorer. (That’s pretty monstrous Yes.)
17. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, Jonas Valanciunas
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas are not the cleanest offensive attack, even though they both have a range that extends beyond the arc. It’s not much of a dribble threat, either, and Valanciunas’ minimal outside volume is predictable when the Grizzlies aren’t close to takedown wings.
That doesn’t make this the wrong triangle for Memphis. Valanciunas has been very good this season, and Jackson’s three-point volume is critical to midfield balance. Maaaybe Brandon Clarke has a case for one of the points, but the Grizzlies will still graze the same roof.
Fortunately for them, Ja Morant allows them to avoid a ranking in the top five. His combination of shot-taking and vision is alignment-proof, and Memphis has defended with an above-average clip with Jackson and Valanciunas on the front line. (For what it’s worth: Clarke and Valanciunas have been interesting in limited action together.)
16. Indiana Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner
Victor Oladipo may end up rejoining the Pacers rotation at Disney. I would replace Malcolm Brogdon or Myles Turner when I return. However, until his performance becomes official, this is Indy’s trio. And it’s not that bad.
The Pacers have more than 6.6 points for every 100 possessions when Brogdon, Turner and Domantas Sabonis play without Oladipo, a differential driven almost entirely by defensive performance that falls within the 98th percentile and includes top edge protection.
Surviving on the offensive end is much more difficult without Oladipo. Brogdon cannot replicate his jumper outside of dribbling or the pressure he exerts on the rim, and Indiana still has space problems with Sabonis and Turner in the half court.
A question worth considering: How much does Oladipo improve the Pacers’ trio ranking? Probably not much. He was encouraged on offense before the league shutdown, but Indiana can’t be sure what he’ll get from him, and the competition to come is pretty tough.
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