The most successful NBA teams usually employ a Big Three nucleus of top-notch players, and the Los Angeles Lakers look to have their own developing.
Nine of the last 10 NBA champions relied on that Big Three nucleus, including the 2008 Boston Celtics (Kevin Garnett–Paul Pierce-Allen), the ’09 & ’10 Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe Bryant–Pau Gasol–Lamar Odom), the ’12 & ’13 Miam Heat (LeBron James–Dwyane Wade–Chris Bosh), the ’14 San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan–Tony Parker–Kawhi Leonard), the ’16 Cleveland Cavs (James-Kyrie Irving–Kevin Love) and the ’15 & ’17 Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry–Klay Thompson–Draymond Green, and of course they added a fabulous fourth musketeer, Kevin Durant, this past season).
Some young teams are attempting to replicate that model of success. The up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the third-best record in the Western Conference, are paced by their Big Three of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Wiggins and Jimmy Butler.
The renovated Philadelphia 76ers have two terrific pieces in place with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and may have a third in injured top pick Markelle Fultz. If he turns out to be as good as advertised, the team could soon become championship competitors led by that Big Three.
What about the Lakers? They have shown improvement this year, but everyone knows they are still a work in progress. But the good news, for the future, is that they might just have a burgeoning Big Three nucleus already on the roster.
Brandon Ingram has steadily improved his game this season over his rookie season, although he is far from a finished product. Comparisons to Kevin Durant were based primarily on similar body types, but Ingram has a long way to go to be as good of a shooter as Durant. His overall skills, however, can eventually launch him into All-Star status.
Ingram needs to continue working on his shooting, including his free throws. He is only 20 years old and is still learning what his body will allow him to do. Ultimately, once he harnesses his talent, he can be one of the top all-around NBA players. For now, he represents a major cornerstone of the Lakers attempt to rebuild a contending franchise, the first of the Big Three.
Lonzo Ball has been under a microscope all season, partly because of his father’s antics, and partly because he was the No. 2 pick in the draft.
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Point guard is the toughest position to master at the NBA level. It is natural that a 20-year-old rookie point guard with only one year of NCAA experience, who is mostly surrounded by other developing young players, will take time to adjust and grow.
So far, even though Lonzo has often struggled on the court, particularly with his shot, and has been predictably inconsistent, his passing talent and instinct for the game stand out. Comparisons to Jason Kidd at a similar age are accurate.
At the very least, Ball should mature into a very good point guard, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he becomes a great one. Either way, he is another solid building block of the Lakers future, the second piece of their Big Three.
The Lakers front office deserves huge credit for correctly evaluating the talent of Kyle Kuzma, but chances are he has already surpassed even their expectations. At least 20 other teams should be kicking themselves for their failure to select him when they had the chance. If a re-draft was held today, he would certainly be chosen in the top-10, perhaps even the top-5.
A player drafted 27th rarely has the impact that Kuzma has had, particularly in his rookie season. He has displayed a well-rounded offensive game, is a good rebounder and plays sound defense.
Kuzma does it all with a confidence that belies his inexperience. In just a fragment of his first season, Kuzma has joined Ball and Ingram as the third piece of the Lakers foundation, cementing their prospective Big Three nucleus.
The trio already seems to fit well together, and each one will continue to improve as they gain valuable experience. Still, nobody can predict with certainty just how good they will become. Laker fans can only hope that with maturity and experience, in a few years the team will contend once again for NBA titles led by their new Big Three.
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For now, as the trade deadline approaches, and especially when the next free agent signing period arrives, the front office would be wise to attempt to add compatible parts to their young, developing Big Three. A 3-and-D wing and a rim-protector would be ideal rather than just trying to acquire the biggest available names.