An in-depth look at Big 3s: The Keys to Success: Western Conferece

As promised, since I did the Eastern Conference, now I'll move to the Western Conference. Some of you might be sick of all this, but hey, it's something to pass the time while we're waiting around for the season to start. If you're that bored, go Create-a-Caption at BDL.

Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
Some people would have Lamar Odom on there instead of Bynum, I honestly think that if Bynum returns to form then Odom is somewhat expendable. If Odom plays the SF position, his length and rebounding will be wasted and he'll be asked to do one of the things he can't do, shoot the ball. If Gasol regains his midrange touch I see this being a very potent offense, with Kobe creating and then Gasol and Bynum on either post. Then put Fisher at one wing launching 3s you have the SF at the other launching 3s, ideally you want someone that can shoot and defend, two things Odom can't really do very well. I've heard tell that Phil Jackson will stick with starting Vladamir Radmonovic at the SF position (since at least he can shoot if nothing else). The ideal would be for Vladamir Radmonovic to learn to play defense or Trevor Ariza to learn how to shoot. The most ideal fit for such a position would ideally be like a Tayshaun Prince or, ironically, Bruce Bowen. That being said, this Big 3 is also top notch, granted now they haven't ever played together before, but if Phil Jackson's emphasis on team passing can really get through, this team will be nigh unstoppable.

New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler
This team also has a pretty solid starting five, however, Peja Stojakovic has not really regained his All-Star form, which means that he's something of a 3 pt specialist and Morris Peterson becomes a defensive specialist. This Big 3 is pretty similar to the Lakers' in that David West lives off of the 15-18 ft midrange jumper. Tyson Chandler is pretty much a rebounding alley-oop monster who Chris Paul regularly feeds. Paul is almost impossible to keep out of the lane, so they all complement one another very well. There's really not much I can say about this one, at least not without bringing up the whole injury issue, which I won't, they're that good.

San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili
This is one of those Big 3s that has been around forever. Duncan is one of the few players that has been a part of 2 successful Big 3s, the first being the 1999 championship team with the Big 3 of David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Sean Elliot, and this one which won championships in 2003, 2005, and 2007. Spurs are just one of the best run teams in the entire league, despite being based around some All-Stars the emphasis has always been on team. That being said, this Big 3 works primarily because of how the rest of the team works, they have enough people to shoot the 3 (Finley, Bowen, Ginobili) to allow Parker and Ginobili a little freedom outside of being pure shooters. Ginobili is not by any stretch a pure shooter, but more a slasher with a shot and Parker is less reliable with his shot, however, Parker is also a more prolific slasher. The anchor still remains Mr. Fundamental, Tim Duncan, who is nigh unstoppable in the post. The only knock I have on this Big 3 is that their bodies are starting to break down, specifically Manu. They need to start bringing in fresh talent, which will be hard, but I have faith that the Spurs system will continue to work out making them a perennial contender.

Utah Jazz
Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur
Some would argue that Andrei Kirilenko should be considred instead of Okur, I believe Kirilenko's contributions to come greater on the defensive end, and thus it's an added bonus if he scores, but the top three options are still Williams, Boozer, and Okur. Williams is the first to draw "Jason Kidd with a jumpshot" comparisons, and will forever be compared to his fellow draft-classmate, Chris Paul. The comparisons never stop, but still, Williams is a big guard that can shoot, pass, and drive, Jerry Sloan has allowed him to run the show a little more and he's doing a phenomenal job of it. Boozer is a banger that has more range than most people give him credit for, that's probably because he doesn't roam out much with the 3 pt range of Mehmet Okur. This is a big team that can run with small-ball teams, which is what makes them so dangerous. It's not by any means a traditional Big 3, but they work with Jerry Sloan's pick and roll system, and they are solid.

Houston Rockets
Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Ron Artest
The addition of Artest came with some mixed reviews. On one hand the Rockets get a legitimate 3rd option scorer, on the other hand, the Rockets get a nutcase who may not like the idea of being the 3rd option scorer. That being said, on paper the team looks fairly solid. The Big 3 is versatile because all three players have range, so they can spread the floor and create mismatches in any number of ways. Artest's rebounding ability I believe will be tested the greatest, but I still feel that putting him at the PF position while still starting Shane Battier would be the most idea solution. Artest will get his fair share of shots and McGrady can focus on getting to the foul line more often, switching on and off with Artest between shooting and slashing. If Artest wants to post in the block, Yao does have a fairly soft touch from 10-15 ft. It looks good on paper, another one I'm itching to see.

Portland Trailblazers
Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden
Roy has proven himself to be both a scorer and a distributor, which works well with this young team. Oden really doesn't have to perform that well in order to be a solid contributor, and if he can produce say Al Horford's rookie numbers, then Portland is solid. They'll likely go with Aldridge on the block and Roy running the offense. Perhaps start some slashing with Jerryd Bayless and perimeter shooting with Martell Webster. This is a team I'm really itching to see. Not much to say yet, Aldridge and Roy have both proven themselves invaluable additions, however, Oden's contributions remain yet to be seen. It could be revival of the true center.

Phoenix Suns
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq has apparently motivated Amare, so that's a good thing. This is an interesting Big 3. Shaq patrols the paint which allows Amare to roam a little more and exploit his athleticism against the defenders. Nash, well, he's Nash. He can shoot and he can find passing lanes that no one knew existed. As far as offensive ability, this Big 3 is pretty high up there, even with Shaq's decline as a major offensive threat.

Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry
I really see Jason Kidd ultimately becoming something more of a facilitator and distributor more than anything of a scoring option. My beef with this Big 3, they all do the same thing and only the same thing; shoot long-range. Seriously, too many jump shooters and not enough help for Erik Dampier. I really, really, can't bring myself to like this team for some reason. As good of rebounder as Kidd is as a guard, I don't know if it'll make a big enough difference if there is no inside game. Sure Dirk has a post move or two, but he's still not a post player. Just becuase he gets defensive rebounds doesn't make him a good PF. To me, he's like Lamar Odom who can shoot but isn't as good at finishing or handling the ball.

Denver Nuggets
Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin
There really isn't much of a third option, it probably could just be everyone else on the roster, as Iverson and Melo get enough scoring done between them. This is a team that just never seemed to get it going for some reason. I suppose I can blame it on sticky hands with Melo and AI like everyone else. I don't know, I just think they got caught between wanting to be a typical solid basketball club and the fun kind of run-and-gun kind of club. They don't really work together so I don't know if it's even a real Big 3 of any sort, they all kind of do their own thing and hope that it all adds up to be a higher score than the other team.

Los Angeles Clippers
Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Al Thornton
Maybe you put Camby up there, but I think Camby will focus a little more on defense to allow Kaman some easy looks and shots, of course, I think they'll both do their fair share of scoring, but we'll see how well that works. Thornton has emerged as a premier scorer, I've heard comparisons of him to Glenn Robinson. We'll see how motivated Baron is to play. The major problem I foresee is that Baron and Thornton are both something of volume shooters, which shouldn't be too bad with rebounders like Camby and Kaman, but I think eventually the shot-happy ways will come back and bite them. As much as second chance buckets are important, I don't know if it's a good policy to bank on them...

Golden State Warriors
Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette
Al Harrington has fallen so out of favor with Don Nelson that I think he'll just chuck it whenever he touches the ball, which being said, will not make him much of a scoring option. I think Andris Biedrins will have to step up the scoring load with Monta out until January, though I suppose Corey Maggette will be happy he's getting his shots. I really have no idea where this team is going. I mean, this team I suppose is the epitome is of the "score more than the other team before time runs out" kind of game.

Sacramento Kings
Kevin Martin, Brad Miller, John Salmons
It could potentially be Francisco Garcia there if Reggie Theus decides to start him instead of Salmons, another possibility could be Beno Udrih I suppose. Everyone's sort of forgotten about the Kings, but they're still a pretty solid team. Brad Miller still has some juice left in his tank and Kevin Martin has developed to be one of the premier scorers in the league. This will be one of those teams where you don't know anyone's name but they still are somehow managing to get wins here and there. Not much of a Big 3, but everyone hustles.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Al Jefferson, Mike Miller, Randy Foye
Minnesota is a franchise where sometimes you're not really sure what the GM is doing. However, things are sort of looking up I guess. If Randy Foye plays out to be as good as he's supposed to be, then this team is serviceable, if not good. Al Jefferson has turned into a monster in the post, Mike Miller is one of those underrated shooters you don't hear about because he's on a crappy team. There you already have two of the three traditional Big 3 pieces. However, in the wake of the Big Ticket (Kevin Garnett), expectations have been, and will still remain low.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook
In the near future I see any player over the age of 25 being traded for draft picks. Seriously, I have no idea what's going on here. I can only hope that Durant, Green, and Westbrook develop in a way that will not adversely affect their NBA careers. I really don't see Wilcox or Collison in the long-term picture, and I believe they could easily be traded, perhaps for a better center? I don't know if they've given up on Robert Swift yet, I seriously hope so. That being said, this is another one of those high potential teams, if Durant and Green fill the forward positions and Westbrook plays the point, and become as good as they seem like they can, then I see this team being a very fast paced, highly athletic teams that will be hard to stop. That being said, I hope that Kevin Durant passes more and shoots less, shot selection is really hurting right now. I suppose I should hope for PJ Carlesimo to stop force-feeding Durant the ball every other play.

Memphis Grizzlies
Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, Mike Conley Jr
It's Memphis... That's really all I have to say. Ok, ok, let me add a few things. I like Rudy Gay, he's a stellar player that looks only to get better. Mike Conley Jr I think has an opportunity to really flourish, but all these roster moves really screw with my head. When I think I know what they're doing they one up me by giving Mike Miller away for free. All I have to say is if Memphis wants to regain any credibility, OJ Mayo better be ludicrously good, which he wasn't really, and that was Summer League. Darko for Zach Randolph?