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Miami Heat: Re-ranking B/R’s big 3s list to see where Miami should land

By Noah Decker

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 04: Bam Adebayo #13 and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat celebrate a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at American Airlines Arena on January 04, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 04: Bam Adebayo #13 and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat celebrate a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at American Airlines Arena on January 04, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 06: Devin Booker #1, Deandre Ayton #22 and Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns celebrate a win against the Milwaukee Bucks (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Re-ranking Bleacher Report’s “Big 3s” rankings to see where the Miami Heat should actually be

8. Philadelphia 76ers Big Three: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris

Once again, this is not really a Big Three, but the stardom of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons carries them to the eighth spot. Embiid had a career-best season this year.

Even with his shooting woes, Ben Simmons is still a top 20 player in the NBA. Tobias Harris is a good player, but he isn’t playing at the star level.

Bleacher Report ranked this trio fourth. It’s hard to understand why considering all of the trios that were ranked below them and the fact that they collapsed in the playoffs. Still, this core is undeniably talented. However, all signs point to this trio splitting up by the end of the season, as the Simmons drama escalates.

7. Utah Jazz Big Three: Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley

BR got this one right. The Jazz were the top seed in the West. They were led by Donovan Mitchell, a proven superstar, Rudy Gobert, the best rim protector in the NBA, and Mike Conley, the most underrated player in the NBA. It will be interesting to see how the Jazz respond to their playoff exit this year.

6. Phoenix Suns Big Three: Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton

BR ranked the Suns’ Big Three surprisingly low considering they were competing in the NBA Finals last year. Here were their major reasons for ranking them at number eight:

"“Paul’s 36th birthday is already behind him, so the threat of age catching up to him grows. Second, Ayton isn’t always on, as he still has a tendency to float at times and occasionally shies from the physicality that could help him conquer the paint.”"

Let’s start with the Chris Paul slander. First, there are many players on this list that are getting old. Paul proved this year that age is just a number, having several games where he shot the ball well, had a lot of assists, and had zero turnovers. He displayed why people call him the “Point God.”

Second, his passing and high IQ won’t go away with age. His unguardable pick-and-roll action might become less efficient with time, but it won’t completely diminish in a matter of months. Besides, who needs to be a good scorer when you have Devin Booker on your team?

The comment about Deandre Ayton’s consistency is fair, although he is still a good player even when he isn’t on. Still, he showed a lot of signs that he could become a true star in the NBA. The combination of these three on the floor should have put them higher on BR’s list.

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