5 Best three-man lineups in the NBA this season
During the 2019 offseason, the dynamic of the NBA shifted as several teams put together superstar pairings. Russell Westbrook reunited with James Harden in Houston, while the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a blockbuster trade to pair Anthony Davis with LeBron James.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers beat the odds to pull off their own killer duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, while the Dallas Mavericks can call upon the emerging Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
However, despite the recent rise of superstar duos - the success of a team usually relies on a combination of its best three players, and both the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors have been able to dominate the NBA over the past decade with famous Big Three lineups.
While the league is currently lacking a headline Big Three - plenty of trios around the league have been able to strike up a great partnership while on the court. So, as we head towards the final months of the campaign, here we will take a look at the best 3-man lineups of the season so far.
#5 Gordon Hayward, Brad Wanamaker, Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
Gordon Hayward, Brad Wanamaker, and Jayson Tatum have shared the floor for just 118 minutes this season, although advanced metrics put them among the best three-man lineups in the NBA. The Boston Celtics trio hold an offensive rating of 114.0 while on the court, while also carrying a 54.9 percent assist ratio.
While Tatum is known for taking on difficult shots, the three-men combine for a true shooting percentage of 58.5 - and their offensive rebound percentage of 34.4 is the largest figure among the top five trios in the league.
The Celtics have also been solid defensively while Hayward, Wanamaker, and Tatum have shared the floor (91.9 defensive rating), and Brad Stevens may want to consider using this three-man lineup more often during the postseason.